Antimicrobial activity of benzylisoquinoline alkaloids

The antimicrobial in vitro activity of 14 benzylisoquinoline alkaloids was investigated by agar diffusion and agar dilution methods against several genera of microorganisms that included Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, Bacillus, Lysteria, Escherichia, Salmonella, Klebsiella, Pseudomonas, Enterobacter, Serratia, Shigella, Mycobacterium and Candida. Anolobine was the most active compound against grampositive bacteria with MIC90 between 12 and 50 mg/l; less active were anonaine, lysicamine and liriodenine. All the alkaloids of the noraporphine and oxoaporphine groups, with the exception of isopiline, showed activity against Mycobacterium phlei (MIC 6-25 mg/l). Candida albicans ATCC26555 was inhibited by anonaine, nornantenine and xylopine (MIC 3-12 mg/l). None of the alkaloids tested had a significant activity against gramnegative rods. The action against susceptible microorganisms was bactericidal.