Antimicrobial activity of berberine—a constituent ofMahonia aquifolium

• Published in: Folia microbiologica Vol. 47; no. 4; pp. 375 - 378
• Main Authors: Cerakova, M, Kosalova, D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Nature B.V 01.08.2002
• Subjects: Antiinfectives and antibacterials; Antimicrobial activity; Antimicrobial agents; Aspergillus niger; Aureobasidium pullulans; Bacteria; Bacteriology; Berberine; E coli; Escherichia coli; Fungi; Gram-negative bacteria; Gram-positive bacteria; Microbicides; Microbiology; Microorganisms; Minimum inhibitory concentration; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Staphylococcus aureus; Yeasts; Zoogloea ramigera
• ISSN: 0015-5632; 1874-9356
• DOI: 10.1007/BF02818693

The antimicrobial activity of the protoberberine, alkaloid, berberine, isolated fromMahonia aquifolium, was evaluated against 17 microorganisms including two Gram-negative bacteria—Pseudomonas aeruginosa andEscherichia coli (both resistant and sensitive), two Gram-positive bacteria—Bacillus subtilis andStaphylococcus aureus, Zoogloea ramigera, six filamentous fungi—Penicilium chrysogenum, Aspergillus niger, Aureobasidium pullulans (black and white strain),Trichoderma viride (original green strain and brown mutant),Fusarium nivale, Mycrosporum gypseum, and two yeasts—Candida, albicans andSaccharomyces cerevisiae. The IC50, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimum microbicidal concentration (MMC) and minimum microbistatic concentration (MMS) varied considerably depending on the microorganism tested, the sensitivity decreasing as follows:S. aureus >P. aeruginosa S (sensitive) >E. coli S>P. aeruginosa R (resistant) >E. coli R>B. subtilis>Z. ramigera>C. albicans>S. cerevisiae>A. pullulans B (black)>A. pullulans W (white)>T. viride Br (brown)>M. gypseum>A niger>F. nivale>P. chrysogenum>T. viride G (green).