Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 6, 2026

A Novel Method to Determine the Longitudinal Antibacterial Activity of Drug-Eluting Materials
Published on: March 3, 2023
Antibacterial activity of disulfiram and its metabolites
K R Frazier1, J A Moore1, T E Long1,2
1Department of Pharmaceutical Science and Research, School of Pharmacy, Marshall University, Huntington, WV, USA.
Aims:
Disulfiram (Antabuse™) and its metabolites formed in vivo were evaluated as antibacterial agents against thirty species of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The synergistic potential of disulfiram (DSF) and metabolite diethyldithiocarbamate (DDTC) with approved antibiotics were also compared by isobologram (checkerboard) analysis.
Methods And Results:
Standard microdilution susceptibility testing showed that most DSF metabolites did not possess appreciable antibacterial activity except for DDTC in Bacillus anthracis. Checkerboard studies revealed similarities between the combination drug effects of DSF and DDTC with standard antibiotics.
Conclusions:
It was concluded from the susceptibility data that the metabolites would not extend the antibacterial spectrum of DSF in vivo. The data also suggest that the DDTC by-product of DSF metabolism potentiates the antibacterial activity of DSF as both a standalone and combination agent.
Significance And Impact Of The Study:
The study provides a greater understanding of the antibacterial effects of Antabuse and its metabolites. This research also demonstrates the potential application of DSF as an antibiotic adjuvant for the treatment of resistant staph infections.
More Related Videos
11:19Synthesis of Multi-walled Carbon Nanotubes Modified with Silver Nanoparticles and Evaluation of Their Antibacterial Activities and Cytotoxic Properties
Published on: May 10, 2018
09:17A Robust Pneumonia Model in Immunocompetent Rodents to Evaluate Antibacterial Efficacy against S. pneumoniae, H. influenzae, K. pneumoniae, P. aeruginosa or A. baumannii
Published on: January 2, 2017
Related Concept Videos
Effect of Hepatic Disease on Pharmacokinetics: Active Drug, Metabolite and Fraction of Metabolized Drug
Co-activators and Co-repressors
tRNA Activation
Activation Energy
Eukaryotic Transcription Activators
The binding domains are capable of recognizing and interacting with regulatory sequences on the DNA. These...
Secondary Active Transport