title: Continentalic acid from Aralia continentalis shows activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.
abstract: In a continuing search for compounds with antibacterial activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a chloroform extract of roots of Aralia continentalis was found to contain continentalic acid (CA, C(20)H(30)O(2)), a diterpenic acid. This compound exhibited potent activity against standard methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) as well as clinical isolates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). It was determined that continentalic acid had minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of approximately 8-16 microg/mL against S. aureus, including the MSSA and MRSA standard strains. Therefore, the results obtained in this study suggest that continentalic acid might have potential as an adjunct in the treatment of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
authors.affiliation: Wonkwang Biomaterial Implant Research Institute, Wonkwang University, Iksan City, Jeonbuk, Iksan, South Korea.
authors.forename: Seung-Il
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.forename: Wan-Soo
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Yeon-Hee
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Yun
authors.forename: Kang-Ju
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D027983:Aralia / Q000737:chemistry*; D004224:Diterpenes / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016106:Methicillin Resistance; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D004224:Diterpenes; C510689:continentalic acid