M. Mukhlesur Rahman

Antibacterial Cannabinoids from Cannabis sativa: A Structure−Activity Study

Marijuana (Cannabis sativa) has long been known to contain antibacterial cannabinoids, whose potential to address antibiotic resistance has not yet been investigated. All five major cannabinoids (cannabidiol (1b), cannabichromene (2), cannabigerol (3b), Delta (9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (4b), and cannabinol (5)) showed potent activity against a variety of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains of current clinical relevance. Activity was remarkably tolerant to the nature of the prenyl moiety, to its relative position compared to the n-pentyl moiety (abnormal cannabinoids), and to carboxylation of the resorcinyl moiety (pre-cannabinoids). Conversely, methylation and acetylation of the phenolic hydroxyls, esterification of the carboxylic group of pre-cannabinoids, and introduction of a second prenyl moiety were all detrimental for antibacterial activity. Taken together, these observations suggest that the prenyl moiety of cannabinoids serves mainly as a modulator of lipid affinity for the olivetol core, a per se poorly active antibacterial pharmacophore, while their high potency definitely suggests a specific, but yet elusive, mechanism of activity.

Natural and synthetic compounds such as trimethoprim behave as inhibitors of efflux in Gram-negative bacteria

OBJECTIVES We hypothesized that small heterocyclic or nitrogen-containing compounds could act as RND efflux pump inhibitors (EPIs). To ascertain possible EPIs, we sought to identify compounds that synergized with substrates of RND efflux pumps for wild-type bacteria and those that overexpress an efflux pump, but had no synergistic activity against strains in which a gene encoding a component of the AcrAB-TolC efflux pump had been inactivated. METHODS Twenty-six compounds plus L-phenylalanyl-L-arginyl-beta-naphthylamide (PAbetaN) and carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP) were screened by bioassay to identify compounds that synergized with ciprofloxacin for a range of Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The MICs of ciprofloxacin, tetracycline, chloramphenicol, erythromycin and ethidium bromide+/-synergizing compounds were determined, and the ability to inhibit the efflux of Hoechst 33342 was measured. RESULTS Two compounds, trimethoprim and epinephrine, consistently showed synergy with antibiotics for most strains. The combinations did not show synergy for Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium in which the AcrAB-TolC efflux pump was inactive. Both compounds inhibited the efflux of Hoechst 33342. CONCLUSIONS Two compounds, trimethoprim and epinephrine, which are already licensed for use in man, may warrant further analysis as EPIs. The combination of trimethoprim with another antibiotic is a well-used combination in anti-infective chemotherapy, and so combination with another agent, such as a quinolone, may be a viable option and further studies are now required.

Medicinal plant extracts with efflux inhibitory activity against Gram-negative bacteria

It was hypothesised that extracts from plants that are used as herbal medicinal products contain inhibitors of efflux in Gram-negative bacteria. Extracts from 21 plants were screened by bioassay for synergy with ciprofloxacin against Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium, including mutants in which acrB and tolC had been inactivated. The most active extracts, fractions and purified compounds were further examined by minimum inhibitory concentration testing with five antibiotics for activity against Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Efflux activity was determined using the fluorescent dye Hoechst 33342. Eighty-four extracts from 21 plants, 12 fractions thereof and 2 purified molecules were analysed. Of these, 12 plant extracts showed synergy with ciprofloxacin, 2 of which had activity suggesting efflux inhibition. The most active extract, from Levisticum officinale, was fractionated and the two fractions displaying the greatest synergy with the five antibiotics were further analysed. From these two fractions, falcarindiol and the fatty acids oleic acid and linoleic acid were isolated. The fractions and compounds possessed antibacterial activity especially for mutants lacking a component of AcrAB-TolC. However, no synergism was seen with the fractions or purified molecules, suggesting that a combination of compounds is required for efflux inhibition. These data indicate that medicinal plant extracts may provide suitable lead compounds for future development and possible clinical utility as inhibitors of efflux for various Gram-negative bacteria.

Antibacterial terpenes from the oleo-resin of Commiphora molmol (Engl.).

Two octanordammaranes, mansumbinone (1) and 3,4‐seco‐mansumbinoic acid (2), and two sesquiterpenes, β‐elemene (3) and T‐cadinol (4) have been isolated from the oleo‐resin of Commiphora molmol (Engl.). The structures of these compounds were established unambiguously by a series of 1D and 2D‐NMR analyses. We have also unambiguously assigned all 1H and 13C NMR resonances for 2 and revised its 13C data. The crude extract of the oleo‐resin of C. molmol displayed potentiation of ciprofloxacin and tetracycline against S. aureus, several Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium strains and two K. pneumoniae strains. The antibacterial activity of terpenes 1–4 was determined against a number of Staphylococcus aureus strains: SA1199B, ATCC25923, XU212, RN4220 and EMRSA15 and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values were found to be in the range of 4–256 µg/ml. The highest activity was observed by the seco‐A‐ring octanordammarane 2 with an MIC of 4 µg/ml against SA1199B, a multidrug‐resistant strain which over‐expresses the NorA efflux transporter, the major characterized antibiotic pump in this species. This activity compared favorably to the antibiotic norfloxacin with an MIC of 32 µg/ml. Compound 2 also displayed weak potentiation of ciprofloxacin and tetracycline activity against strains of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium SL1344 and L10. Copyright

Assessment of the antibacterial activity of phenylethanoid glycosides from Phlomis lanceolata against multiple-drug-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus

Three phenylethanoid glycosides, forsythoside B (1), phlinoside C (2) and verbascoside (3), were isolated from the methanol extract of the leaves of Phlomis lanceolata, an Iranian medicinal plant, by reversed-phase preparative high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and the structures of these compounds were elucidated conclusively by ultraviolet (UV), mass spectrometry (MS) and a series of 1D and 2D nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analyses. The antibacterial properties of 1–3 against five multi-drug-resistant (MDR) strains of Staphylococcus aureus have been assessed by the rapid and robust microtitre-plate-based serial dilution method. While compounds 1 and 3 showed considerable activities against all five strains, compound 2 was inactive at the test concentrations.

Antibacterial Iridoid Glucosides from Eremostachys laciniata

Eremostachys laciniata (L) Bunge (family: Lamiaceae alt. Labiatae; subfamily: Lamioideae) is one of the 15 endemic Iranian herbs of the genus Eremostachys. A decoction of the roots and flowers of E. laciniata has traditionally been taken orally for the treatment of allergies, headache and liver diseases. Three antibacterial iridoid glucosides, phloyoside I (1), phlomiol (2) and pulchelloside I (3) have been isolated from the rhizomes of this plant. The structures of these compounds were elucidated unequivocally by a series of 1D and 2D NMR analyses. The antibacterial activity and brine shrimp toxicity of these compounds were assessed using the resazurin microtitre assay and the brine shrimp lethality assay, respectively. All three iridoid glycosides 1–3 exhibited from low to moderate levels (MIC = 0.05–0.50 mg/mL) of antibacterial activity. Of these compounds, compound 3 was the most active, and displayed antibacterial activity against 9 of 12 different strains tested. The most noteworthy activity of 3 was against Bacillus cereus, penicillin‐resistant Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis and Staphylococcus aureus with an MIC value of 0.05 mg/mL. Copyright

Norlignans, acylphloroglucinols, and a dimeric xanthone from Hypericum chinense.

Two new norlignans, hyperiones A (1) and B (2), three new acylphloroglucinols, aspidinol C (3) and hyperaspidinols A (5) and B (6), the known compound aspidinol D (4), and the symmetrical dimeric xanthone hyperidixanthone (7) were isolated from Hypericum chinense. Their structures were established by spectroscopic analysis. In an antibacterial assay using a panel of multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains, compounds 3 and 4 exhibited promising activity against the NorA efflux protein overexpressing MDR Staphylococcus aureus strain SA-1199B with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 2 μg/mL (8.4 μM) and 4 μg/mL (16.8 μM), respectively. The positive control antibiotic norfloxacin showed activity at MIC 32 μg/mL (100 μM).

Antimicrobial and cytotoxic constituents of Loranthus globosus.

(+)-Catechin, 3,4-dimethoxycinnamyl alcohol and 3,4,5-trimethoxycinnamyl alcohol were isolated from the barks of Loranthus globosus. All compounds showed significant antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities.

Dolabellanes with antibacterial activity from the brown alga Dilophus spiralis.

Seventeen diterpenes featuring the dolabellane skeleton (1-17) were isolated from the organic extracts of the brown alga Dilophus spiralis. Seven compounds are new natural products (1, 3, 5, 6, 11, 14, 15) and eight are structurally revised (2, 4, 7-10, 12, 13), among which three are reported for the first time from a natural source (4, 9, 10). The structure elucidation and the assignment of the relative configurations of the isolated natural products were based on detailed analyses of their spectroscopic data. The structure of metabolite 10 was confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, whereas the absolute configurations of compounds 2, 4-10, 12, and 13 were determined using the modified Moshers method on the semisynthetic product 18 and chemical interconversions. The antibacterial activities of compounds 1-18 were evaluated against six strains of Staphylococcus aureus, including multidrug- and methicillin-resistant variants.

Brominated diterpenes with antibacterial activity from the red alga Sphaerococcus coronopifolius.

Four new brominated diterpenes (1, 2, 4, 5), along with two previously reported metabolites (3, 6), were isolated from the organic extract of Sphaerococcus coronopifolius, collected in Palaiokastritsa Bay at the west coast of Corfu Island. The structures of the new products, as well as their relative configuration, were established by means of spectroscopic data analyses, including 2D NMR experiments. The isolated metabolites were evaluated for their antibacterial activity against a panel of multidrug-resistant (MDR) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) with MICs in the range 0.5-128 microg/mL.