Enriching modern pharmacotherapy through synergy assessment for the combination of natural products and synthetic drugs

Abstract

5-O-methylglovanon (5-O-MG) is a bioactive compound first isolated and characterized from Glycosmis plants. In this issue, Zhou et al. evaluated the anti-staphylococcal effects of 5-O-MG against ampicillin-resistant isolates of Staphylococcus aureus and S. epidermidis. The authors showed that the combination of 5-O-MG and ampicillin significantly increased the susceptibility of Staphylococcus strains to the drugs by decreasing MICs with a comparable anti-staphylococcal effect to that of β-lactamase inhibitors, suggesting that herbal compounds such as 5-O-MG may be potential candidates for the inhibitor of β-lactamases. This study is another example of synergy assessment of natural products in drug development to likely enrich modern pharmacotherapy.

Antibacterial Drimane Sesquiterpenes from Aspergillus ustus

“…Pathogens such as vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium and multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus , which are on the CDC’s list of serious threats, could jeopardize health care systems because there are limited defenses against them , and there is a potential of transferring chemical resistance to more dangerous pathogens . Combinatorial treatments that target multiple bacterial pathways or enhance drug activity are currently used, for example the coadministration of amoxicillin and clavulanic acid to treat β-lactamase-producing S. aureus and, despite some controversy, combinations of vancomycin with β-lactams or daptomycin as a last resort therapy. Finding compounds that act in synergistic ways might improve our chances of fighting AR and, in turn, our ability to combat infectious diseases.…”

Antibiotic resistance modifying ability of phytoextracts in anthrax biological agent Bacillus anthracis and emerging superbugs: a review of synergistic mechanisms

“…5-O-methylglovanon isolated from Glycosmis plants is an isoprenyl flavonoid compound with broad-spectrum antibacterial activity. The compound can lower the production of β-lactamases to facilitate the action of ampicillin in S. epidermidis and S. aureus [203].…”

Therapeutic Strategies for Metabolic Diseases: Small‐Molecule Diacylglycerol Acyltransferase (DGAT) Inhibitors

“…[88,89] These natural products are isolated through a bioactivity-guided fractionation of the total plant extract. [88,89] These natural products are isolated through a bioactivity-guided fractionation of the total plant extract.…”

“…Plants have always been a rich source for drug screening, either alone or in combination with existing drugs. [88,89] These natural products are isolated through a bioactivity-guided fractionation of the total plant extract. Traditional oriental medicine is mainly plant-based, and the isolation and structural determination of the products used has mostly been carried out in Asia.…”