1‐methyl malate from Berberis integerrima fruits enhances the antibacterial activity of ampicillin against Staphylococcus aureus

Abstract

The enhancement of the antibacterial activity of ampicillin by different extracts of Berberis integerrima fruits was evaluated against Staphylococcus aureus. Disk diffusion and agar dilution methods were used to determine the antibacterial activity of ampicillin in the absence and presence of different plant extracts or various fractions eluted by column chromatography. A clinical isolate of S. aureus was used as a test strain. The active component of B. integerrima fruits involved in the enhancement of ampicillin activity was purified and identified as 1-methyl malate using different spectroscopic methods. Both the ethanol extract of B. integerrima fruits and 1-methyl malate enhanced the antibacterial activity of ampicillin. The total extract as well as 1-methyl malate increased the antibacterial activity of ampicillin against the test strain. The potency of ampicillin against the test strain was increased 64-fold when tested with a sub-toxic concentration of total extract of B. integerrima fruits. Also, 1-methyl malate increased the bactericidal activity of ampicillin. In the presence of 2 mg/mL of 1-methyl malate the MIC of ampicillin for S. aureus decreased from 128 to 1 microg/mL (128-fold).

The Antifungal Activity of Sarcococca saligna Ethanol Extract and its Combination Effect with Fluconazole against Different Resistant Aspergillus Species

“…The essential oil of Cinnamon zirconium has been reported to enhance the activity of clindamycin against toxicogenic Clostridium difficile [11]. We have also recently reported that the ethanol extract of Berberis integerrima and its active component (1-methyl malate) can increase the antibacterial activity of ampicillin against the clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus [13]. The ethanol extract of S. saligna showed antifungal activity against the test strains used (except A. flavus).…”

“…Recently, various natural products or synthetic compounds have been reported to increase the antibacterial activity of the presently used antibiotics against different clinical isolated resistant test strains [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13]. The essential oil of Cinnamon zirconium has been reported to enhance the activity of clindamycin against toxicogenic Clostridium difficile [11].…”

“…Using resistance modulators with the antibiotics is one of the important alternatives, which deactivates the resistance mechanism of microorganisms and also extends the usefulness of antibiotics with known clinical, pharmacological, and toxicological properties [3,4]. Besides developing new chemical resistance inhibitors [5][6][7], plant-based natural products are being searched to work as resistance modulators [8][9][10][11][12][13].…”

Screening the methanol extracts of some Iranian plants for tyrosinase inhibitory activity

“…B. integrima produced no effect on the alpha glucosidase and the pancreatic lipase activity (1417). 1-methylmalate, one of the B. integrima fruit components, increased the anti-microbial activity against Staphylococcus aureus (18). Isoquinoline alkaloids attained from the root of Turkish berberis species showed an anti-inflamatory and anti-nociceptive effects (19), whereas in our study this plant exhibited the anti-cholinesterase activity.…”

Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities of Aqueous and Ethanolic Extracts of Barberry and Zataria multiflora Boiss Essential Oil Against Some Food-Borne Bacteria

“…The plant grows in different parts of the world and has a long history in traditional medicine (6). Some of its alkaloids, such as berberine, berbamine, palmatine, oxyacanthine, condocorine, tetrandrine, have been identified after degradation, with different healing properties (7,8). Souri et al (9) studied the antioxidant properties of 60 plant species native to Iran and showed that barberry has high antioxidant properties (49.95% in 0.4 micrograms).…”