title: Propionic acid and its esterified derivative suppress the growth of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus USA300.
abstract: Previously, we demonstrated that Propionibacterium acnes, a human skin commensal bacterium, ferments glycerol into short-chain fatty acids, including propionic acid. Propionic acid suppressed the growth of Staphylococcus aureus USA300, a community-acquired methicillin-resistant bacterium, in vitro and in vivo. In this study, it is demonstrated that the anti-USA300 activity of propionic acid persisted after buffering the acid with 4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1- piperazineethanesulfonic acid. This suggests that the growth suppression of USA300 mainly resulted from the antimicrobial activity of propionic acid per se and not from the acidity of the medium. In addition, proprionic acid significantly reduced the intracellular pH of USA300 and exhibited broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli and Candida albicans. P. acnes showed a higher tolerance to propionic acid. Next, an esterified derivative of propionic acid was synthesised. Propionic acid and the esterified derivative were equivalent in their efficacy to suppress the growth of USA300 in vitro. The esterified derivative thus provides an alternative to propionic acid as an antimicrobial agent against S. aureus.
authors.affiliation: Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, University of California, 3525 John Hopkins Court, San Diego, CA 92121, USA.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, University of California, 3525 John Hopkins Court, San Diego, CA 92121, USA.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.affiliation: Surface Bioadvances, Inc., 674 Via De La Valle, Solana Beach, CA 92075, USA.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, University of California, 3525 John Hopkins Court, San Diego, CA 92121, USA.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kuo
authors.affiliation: Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, University of California, 3525 John Hopkins Court, San Diego, CA 92121, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shu
authors.affiliation: Programa de Microbiología y Micologia, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Av. Independencia 1027, 8380453 Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Tapia
authors.affiliation: Sanford-Burnham Institute for Medical Research, 10901 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, University of California, 3525 John Hopkins Court, San Diego, CA 92121, USA.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Two
authors.affiliation: BroadPharm, Inc., 9380 Waples Street, San Diego, CA 92121, USA.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, University of California, 3525 John Hopkins Court, San Diego, CA 92121, USA.
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Gallo
authors.affiliation: Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, University of California, 3525 John Hopkins Court, San Diego, CA 92121, USA Moores Cancer Center, University of California, 3855 Health Sciences Drive, San Diego, CA 92121, USA.
authors.forename: C-M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000187:drug effects; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000737:chemistry; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D011422:Propionates / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011425:Propionibacterium acnes / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D011422:Propionates
keywords: Propionibacterium acnes; Staphylococcus aureus; fermentation; probiotics; propionic acid