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Updated: Jul 7, 2026
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Antimicrobial Synergy Testing by the Inkjet Printer-assisted Automated Checkerboard Array and the Manual Time-kill Method
Published on: April 18, 2019
New insect system for testing antibiotics.
Shajahan Johny1, Carlos E Lange, Leellen F Solter
1Department of Biology, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois 61790-4120, USA.
The Journal of Parasitology
|March 5, 2008
Summary
A novel grasshopper model offers an inexpensive, ethical in vivo system for screening antibiotics against pathogens. Fumagillin and thiabendazole showed efficacy against microsporidia, highlighting potential new treatments.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Parasitology
- Drug Discovery
Background:
- Antibiotic resistance necessitates novel screening methods.
- Existing models often face ethical concerns and high costs.
- The emergence of new diseases requires rapid development of effective treatments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce and validate a new in vivo insect model for antibiotic screening.
- To evaluate the efficacy of 11 commercial antibiotics against a pathogenic Encephalitozoon species (Microsporidia).
- To explore potential therapeutic agents for microsporidia infections.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the grasshopper Romalea microptera as an in vivo model.
- Administered 11 commercial antibiotics orally to infected grasshoppers.
- Quantified pathogen spore counts to assess antibiotic efficacy.
Main Results:
- Fumagillin and thiabendazole significantly reduced Encephalitozoon spore counts.
- Albendazole, ampicillin, chloramphenicol, griseofulvin, metronidazole, sulfadimethoxine, and tetracycline showed no significant effect.
- Quinine had a nonsignificant reduction, while streptomycin nonsignificantly increased spore counts.
Conclusions:
- The grasshopper model is a valid and versatile tool for antibiotic screening.
- Treating microsporidia infections remains challenging, with limited effective antibiotics.
- Quinine and related alkaloids warrant further investigation for anti-microsporidia activity.
- Streptomycin's potential role in enhancing microsporidiosis requires further study.
