An alkaloid, cepharanthine, potentiates the bactericidal effect of methylglyoxal bis (cyclopentylamidinohydrazone) on...

Antiproliferative effects of combined treatment with methylglyoxal bis(cyclopentylamidinohydrazone) (MGBCP), a polyamine biosynthesis inhibitor, and cepharanthine, a biscoclaurine alkaloid, on methicillin- and gentamicin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus were investigated. The bactericidal effect of MGBCP on S. aureus was potentiated by the cepharanthine treatment. Cellular polyamine levels of the bacteria treated with both MGBCP and cepharanthine were much lower than those of the bacteria treated with MGBCP alone. On the contrary, the cellular MGBCP concentration was much higher in the cepharanthine-treated bacteria. Thus, cepharanthine was considered to enhance the incorporation of MGBCP into the bacteria. The combination of MGBCP and cepharanthine resulted in greater suppression of macromolecular synthesis in the bacteria that might have caused greater suppression of bacterial growth.