The activity of metal compounds against aerobic and anaerobic bacteria

We evaluated the antimicrobial activity of two metal compounds, JM-1397 (OsO2[xylyl]2) and JM-2469 (AuCl[S2CPEt3]). Both inhibited methicillin-susceptible and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus at concentrations of 0.5-2 micrograms/ml, with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC90) of 1 microgram/ml for JM-1397 and 0.5 microgram/ml for JM-2469. Similar concentrations inhibited methicillin-susceptible and -resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci (S. epidermidis, S. haemolyticus, and S. saprophyticus). JM-2469 inhibited group A, B, C, F, and G beta-hemolytic streptococci and viridans group streptococci at 1-8 micrograms/ml (MIC90 4 micrograms/ml) but Enterococcus faecalis and E. faecium had MICs of 8-16 micrograms/ml. JM-1397 had MICs for these organisms of greater than 64 micrograms/ml. Bacteroides fragilis, other Bacteroides, and Clostridium species were inhibited by less than or equal to 0.12-4 micrograms/ml (MIC90, 0.5 microgram/ml). MICs of both compounds for Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas spp. were greater than 64 micrograms/ml. These studies show that osmium and gold compounds have potential as topical agents against Gram-positive and anaerobic species.