Inhibition of growth of Streptococcus mutans, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and vancomycin-resistant enterococci by kurarinone, a bioactive flavonoid isolated from Sophora flavescens.

摘要

Infectious diseases caused by pathogenic bacteria have been the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in human history. The discovery of the antibacterial compound from the mold Penicillium notatum by Alexander Fleming led to the development of antibiotics, which are still the main weapons for combating the deadly bacterial infections at the present time. However, over 60 years of application of antibiotics leads to the development of antibiotic resistance of many bacterial pathogens. Consequently, bacterial infections have again become the most common and deadly causes of human diseases. Two of the most lethal hospital infections are caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-re-sistant enterococci (VRE) (10). Furthermore, Streptococcus mwfans-associated tooth decay is one of the most prevalent and costly infectious diseases in the United States (4, 11; http:// www.surgeongeneral.govAibrary/oralhealth/).