Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand.
Faculty of Medicine, Research Institute for Human High Performance and Health Promotion, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand.
Molecules. 2021 Jul 31;26(15):4662. doi: 10.3390/molecules26154662.
Houtt. (Nutmeg) is a widely known folk medicine across several parts of Asia, particularly used in antimicrobial treatment. Bacterial resistance involves the expression of efflux pump systems (chromosomal A and A) in methicillin-resistant (MRSA). Crude extract (CE) and essential oil (EO) obtained from nutmeg were applied as efflux pump inhibitors (EPIs), thereby enhancing the antimicrobial activity of the drugs they were used in. The major substances in CE and EO, which function as EPIs, in a descending order of % peak area include elemicin, myristicin, methoxyeugenol, myristicin, and asarone. Here, we investigated whether the low amount of CE and EO used as EPIs was sufficient to sensitize MRSA killing using the antibiotic ciprofloxacin, which acts as an efflux system. Interestingly, synergy between ciprofloxacin and CE or EO revealed the most significant viability of MRSA, depending on A and A, the latter being responsible for EPI function of EO. Therefore, CE and EO obtained from nutmeg can act as EPIs in combination with substances that act as efflux systems, thereby ensuring that the MRSA strain is susceptible to antibiotic treatment.
霍特（肉豆蔻）是亚洲多个地区广泛使用的民间药物，尤其用于抗菌治疗。细菌耐药性涉及耐甲氧西林金黄色葡萄球菌（MRSA）中表达的外排泵系统（染色体 A 和 A）。从肉豆蔻中获得的粗提取物（CE）和精油（EO）被用作外排泵抑制剂（EPIs），从而增强了它们所使用的药物的抗菌活性。CE 和 EO 中的主要物质作为 EPIs，按峰面积百分比降序排列，包括榄香烯、肉豆蔻醚、甲氧基丁香酚、肉豆蔻醚和菖蒲酮。在这里，我们研究了作为 EPIs 使用的少量 CE 和 EO 是否足以用抗生素环丙沙星（一种外排系统）来敏化 MRSA 杀伤。有趣的是，环丙沙星与 CE 或 EO 的协同作用显示出对 MRSA 最显著的活力，这取决于 A 和 A，后者负责 EO 的 EPI 功能。因此，从肉豆蔻中获得的 CE 和 EO 可以作为外排系统的 EPIs 与物质结合使用，从而确保 MRSA 菌株对抗生素治疗敏感。
