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Aims:  To investigate the in vitro antiviral activity of Melaleuca alternifolia essential oil (TTO) and its main components, terpinen‐4‐ol, α‐terpinene, γ‐terpinene, p‐cymene, terpinolene and α‐terpineol. Methods and Results:  The antiviral activity of tested compounds was evaluated against polio type 1, ECHO 9, Coxsackie B1, adeno type 2, herpes simplex (HSV) type 1 and 2 viruses by 50% plaque reduction assay. The anti‐influenza virus assay was based on the inhibition of the virus‐induced cytopathogenicity. Results obtained from our screening demonstrated that the TTO and some of its components (the terpinen‐4‐ol, the terpinolene, the α‐terpineol) have an inhibitory effect on influenza A/PR/8 virus subtype H1N1 replication at doses below the cytotoxic dose. The ID50 value of the TTO was found to be 0·0006% (v/v) and was much lower than its CD50 (0·025% v/v). All the compounds were ineffective against polio 1, adeno 2, ECHO 9, Coxsackie B1, HSV‐1 and HSV‐2. None of the tested compounds showed virucidal activity. Only a slight virucidal effect was observed for TTO (0·125% v/v) against HSV‐1 and HSV‐2. Conclusions:  These data show that TTO has an antiviral activity against influenza A/PR/8 virus subtype H1N1 and that antiviral activity has been principally attributed to terpinen‐4‐ol, the main active component. Significance and Impact of the Study:  TTO should be a promising drug in the treatment of influenza virus infection.

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Different ofloxacin-loaded unilamellar vesicles were prepared by the extrusion technique, and their antimicrobial activities were determined in comparison to those of the free drug by means of MIC determinations with both American Type Culture Collection standards and wild-type bacterial strains (six strains of Enterococcus faecalis, seven strains of Escherichia coli, six strains of Staphylococcus aureus, and six strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa). The accumulation of ofloxacin and liposome-ofloxacin was measured by determining the amount of the drug inside the bacteria as a function of time. Encapsulated fluoroquinolone yielded MICs which were at least twofold lower than those obtained with the free drug. In particular, liposomes made up of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine-cholesterol-dipalmitoylphosphatidylserine and dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine-cholesterol-dihexadecylphosphate (4:3:4 molar ratio) provided the best improvement in antimicrobial activity against the various bacterial strains investigated. The liposome formulation produced higher intracellular fluoroquinolone concentrations than those achieved simultaneously with the free drug in both E. coli and P. aeruginosa.Since the discovery of the original DNA gyrase inhibitor nalidixic acid, numerous structural modifications have been carried out to the quinolone nucleus to increase antimicrobial activity and improve pharmacokinetic performance (12,22,29,46).The efficacy of fluoroquinolone antibiotics has led to their proposed use for the treatment and prophylaxis of different bacterial diseases: therapy for the respiratory tract, skin structure, and bone and gastrointestinal infections, as well as urinary tract infections (20,21,23,36,41). However, many studies were developed to improve the potency and spectrum, to achieve sustained blood levels, and to reduce as much as possible drug interactions with various metabolic pathways and physiological processes. Particularly, the use of antibiotic "carrier/delivery systems" would result in enhanced concentrations of the antimicrobial agent at the site of infection. In fact, delivery systems can contribute to (i) targeting of the drug to the infected tissues, (ii) increasing intracellular antibiotic concentrations, and (iii) reducing toxicity of potentially toxic drugs resulting from the targeting to the infectious organisms.Liposomes are possible carriers for controlled drug delivery and targeting by the intravenous route. As with most drug carriers, liposomes have been extensively used in an attempt to improve the selective delivery and the therapeutic index of antimicrobial agents (3, 47). Liposomes, artificial phospholipid membranes, are usually produced from naturally occurring, biodegradable, and nontoxic lipids, such as lecithin, cholesterol, and phosphatidylserine.The aim of the study described here was to investigate the antimicrobial activity against and accumulation in bacteria of ofloxacin-loaded liposomes (of different lipid compositions) in comparison to those of free drugs. Our preliminary experi...

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Aerobic vaginitis is a new nonclassifiable pathology that is neither specific vaginitis nor bacterial vaginosis. The diversity of this microbiological peculiarity could also explain several therapeutic failures when patients were treated for infections identified as bacterial vaginosis. The diagnosis ‘aerobic vaginitis’ is essentially based on microscopic examinations using a phase-contrast microscope (at ×400 magnification). The therapeutic choice for ‘aerobic vaginitis’ should take into consideration an antibiotic characterized by an intrinsic activity against the majority of bacteria of fecal origin, bactericidal effect and poor/absent interference with the vaginal microbiota. Regarding the therapy for aerobic vaginitis when antimicrobial agents are prescribed, not only the antimicrobial spectrum but also the presumed ecological disturbance on the anaerobic and aerobic vaginal and rectal microbiota should be taken into a consideration. Because of their very low impact on the vaginal microbiota, kanamycin or quinolones are to be considered a good choice for therapy.