[In-vitro activity of two hybrid synthetic peptides having antimicrobial activity against mycobacteria].
The increase in both Mycobacterium tuberculosis human clinical isolates resistant to the essential drugs and cases of disseminated micobacteriosis due to Mycobacterium avium Complex, underlines the need to investigate new antimicobacterial agents. The antimicrobial peptides are a new group of active antibiotics with a particular mechanism of action. Some of them, like cecropin and melittin, isolated from insects, have demonstrated good in vitro activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Synthetic hybrids of those peptides have been more active than individual peptides. In this study, the in vitro activity of two hybrid synthetic peptides from melittin and cecropin against M. tuberculosis, M. avium Complex, Mycobacterium fortuitum and Mycobacterium smegmatis has been evaluated. The minimal inhibitory concentration was determined by using the broth macrodilution technique. The minimal bactericide concentration in Lowenstein Jensen medium was then obtained. The peptides studied were active, in vitro, against M. smegmatis, but they did not show any activity against the other mycobacteria analyzed.
Zerbini
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E
Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias Dr. Emilio Coni-ANLIS Dr. Carlos G. Malbrán, Blas Parera 8260, (3000) Santa Fe, Argentina. elsazerbini@arnet.com.ar
Andreu
D
D
Tonarelli
G
G
Sequeira
M D
MD
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000494:pharmacology*; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D008555:Melitten / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D009161:Mycobacterium / Q000187:drug effects*; D009162:Mycobacterium avium / Q000187:drug effects; D019907:Mycobacterium fortuitum / Q000187:drug effects; D020102:Mycobacterium smegmatis / Q000187:drug effects; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000187:drug effects; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000494:pharmacology*
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D010446:Peptide Fragments; C435762:cecropin A(1-7)melittin(2-9); C111208:cecropin A(1-8)melittin(1-18); D008555:Melitten