title: Antibacterial and cytotoxic activities of the sesquiterpene lactones cnicin and onopordopicrin.
abstract: The antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities of chloroform extracts from the weeds Centaurea tweediei and C. diffusa, and the main sesquiterpene lactones isolated from these species, onopordopicrin and cnicin, respectively, were assayed. Results show that the chloroform extracts from both Centaurea species possess antibacterial activities against a panel of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Remarkable antibacterial activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus was also measured. Both the extracts and the purified sesquiterpene lactones show high cytotoxicity against human-derived macrophages. Despite this cytotoxicity, C. diffusa chloroform extract and cnicin are attractive candidates for evaluation as antibiotics in topical preparations against skin-associated pathogens.
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, 2733 Heather Street, Vancouver, V5Z 3J5, Canada. hbach@interchange.ubc.ca
authors.forename: Sandra M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Bach
authors.forename: Mario A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Fortuna
authors.forename: Rodgoun
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Attarian
authors.forename: Juliana T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: de Trimarco
authors.forename: César A N
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Catalán
authors.forename: Yossef
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Av-Gay
authors.forename: Horacio
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bach
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002460:Cell Line; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D031179:Centaurea / Q000737:chemistry*; D007783:Lactones / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects; D009000:Monocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D007783:Lactones; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; C075494:onopordopicrin; C012849:cnicin