Antimicrobial Activity of Berberine Alone and in Combination with Ampicillin or Oxacillin Against Methicillin-ResistantStaphylococcus aureus

Abstract

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteria have been responsible for substantial morbidity and mortality in hospitals because they usually have multidrug resistance. Some natural products are candidates as new antibiotic substances. In the present study, we investigated the antimicrobial activity of berberine, the main antibacterial substance of Coptidis rhizoma (Coptis chinensis Franch) and Phellodendri cortex (Phellodendron amurense Ruprecht), against clinical isolates of MRSA, and the effects of berberine on the adhesion to MRSA and intracellular invasion into human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs). Berberine showed antimicrobial activity against all tested strains of MRSA. Minimum inhibition concentrations (MICs) of berberine against MRSA ranged from 32 to 128 microg/mL. Ninety percent inhibition of MRSA was obtained with 64 microg/mL or less of berberine. In the checkerboard dilution test, berberine markedly lowered the MICs of ampicillin and oxacillin against MRSA. An additive effect was found between berberine and ampicillin, and a synergistic effect was found between berberine and oxacillin against MRSA. In the presence of 1-50 microg/mL berberine, MRSA adhesion and intracellular invasion were notably decreased compared with the vehicle-treated control group. These results suggest that berberine may have antimicrobial activity and the potential to restore the effectiveness of beta-lactam antibiotics against MRSA, and inhibit the MRSA adhesion and intracellular invasion in HGFs.

Berberine Reverses Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition and Inhibits Metastasis and Tumor-Induced Angiogenesis in Human Cervical Cancer Cells

“…Berberine, which is a naturally occurring isoquinoline alkaloid, is an active component in the roots, rhizomes, and stem barks of many medicinal plants, including Berberis vulgaris (barberry), Berberis aristata (tree turmeric), Berberis aquifolium (Oregon grape), and Coptis chinensis (Chinese goldthread). Berberine was initially used as an antibiotic because of its potent antimicrobial activity against many organisms, including bacteria, fungi, protozoans, viruses, chlamydia, and helminthes (Yu et al, 2005). Berberine has a wide range of pharmacological and biochemical effects for various clinical conditions, such as diarrhea, hypertension, arrhythmias, and inflammation (Rabbani et al, 1987).…”

Berberine Differentially Modulates the Activities of ERK, p38 MAPK, and JNK to Suppress Th17 and Th1 T Cell Differentiation in Type 1 Diabetic Mice

“…In our study, berberine inhibited the production of both IFN␥ and IL-17 in NOD mice probably as a result of structural differences between berberine and berbamine. Another possible reason why berberine could suppress the development type 1 diabetes is its antimicrobial activity (44,45). A previous study revealed that intestinal microbes are a critical epigenetic factor that modifies the predisposition toward type 1 diabetes (46).…”

Modulatory effect of berberine on adipose tissue PPARγ, adipocytokines and oxidative stress in high fat diet/ streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

“…Berberine (BBR) is an isoquinoline alkaloid originally isolated from Coptis chinensis (Huanglian) (Leng et al, 2004). BBR has been reported to exhibit multiple pharmacological activitiessuch as anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antimicrobial, hepatoprotective and antioxidant properties (Cho et al, 2005;Yu et al, 2005;Choi et al, 2006;Mahmoud et al, 2014). Recent studies have demonstrated that BBR has remarkable beneficial effects as an anti-hyperglycemic and it reduces weight gain in diabetic patients (Yin et al, 2008;Zhao et al, 2008).…”