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Updated: Jun 14, 2025

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Synergistic Interactions between Selected β-Lactam Antibiotics and Cinnamic Acid and Its Chosen Derivatives

Tomasz Zawiła1, Denis Swolana1, Marta Zawiła1

  • 1Department of Microbiology and Virology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences in Sosnowiec, Medical University of Silesia, ul. Jagiellońska 4, 41-200 Sosnowiec, Poland.

Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland)
|August 29, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Cinnamic acid derivatives show weak antibacterial effects against Staphylococcus epidermidis. Combining them with beta-lactam antibiotics enhances their antimicrobial activity, offering potential new treatments for implant-associated infections.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Pharmacology
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Staphylococcus epidermidis, a common human microbiota member, is increasingly causing opportunistic infections, particularly with medical implants.
  • The rise of antibiotic resistance necessitates the discovery of novel antimicrobial agents.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the antibacterial efficacy of cinnamic acid and its derivatives against Staphylococcus epidermidis strains from vascular infections.
  • To investigate the synergistic effects of these compounds when combined with beta-lactam antibiotics.

Main Methods:

  • Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) assays were performed to determine the antibacterial activity of cinnamic acid derivatives.
  • Combinatorial testing was conducted using cinnamic acid derivatives and beta-lactam antibiotics against clinical isolates.

Main Results:

  • Cinnamic acid, sinapic acid, ferulic acid, and p-coumaric acid exhibited weak antibacterial activity, with high MIC values (2048-4096 mg/L).
  • Combinations of cinnamic acid derivatives with beta-lactam antibiotics demonstrated enhanced antimicrobial effectiveness against Staphylococcus epidermidis.

Conclusions:

  • Cinnamic acid derivatives alone possess limited direct antibacterial action against Staphylococcus epidermidis.
  • The synergistic effect observed with beta-lactam antibiotics suggests a promising therapeutic strategy for managing Staphylococcus epidermidis infections, especially those linked to implants.
Keywords:
Staphylococcus epidermidisantimicrobial activitybiofilmcinnamic acid

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