Antibacterial activity of phytochemicals isolated from Atractylodes japonica against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has been emerging worldwide as one of the most important problems in communities and hospitals. Therefore, new agents are needed to treat acute oral infections from MRSA. In this study, antibacterial compounds from the roots of Atractylodes japonica (A. japonica) were isolated and characterized. The compounds were isolated from the root extracts using HPLC-piloted activity-guided fractionations. Four A. japonica compounds were isolated and identified as atractylenolide III (1), atractylenolide I (2), diacetylatractylodiol [(6E,12E)-tetradeca-6,12-diene-8,10-diyne-1,3-diol diacetate, TDEYA, 3). and (6E,12E)-tetradecadiene-8,10-diyne-1,3-diol (TDEA, 4), which was obtained by hydrolysis of TDEYA. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) was determined in the setting of clinical MRSA isolates. Compound 4 showed anti-MRSA activity with a MIC value of 4-32 μg/mL. The overall results provide promising baseline information for the potential use of the extract of A. japonica as well as some of the isolated compounds in the treatment of bacterial infections.