Antimicrobial Synergy between Aminoglycosides and Licorice Extract in <i>Listeria monocytogenes</i>
<i>Listeria monocytogenes</i> is a foodborne pathogen that can develop serious invasive infections. Among foodborne pathogens, <i>L. monocytogenes</i> exhibits the highest case fatality despite antibiotic treatment, suggesting the current therapy should be improved. Although...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2022-04-01
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| Series: | Pathogens |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/11/4/440 |
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| author | Myungseo Park Liz Horn Victoria Lappi Dave Boxrud Craig Hedberg Byeonghwa Jeon |
| author_facet | Myungseo Park Liz Horn Victoria Lappi Dave Boxrud Craig Hedberg Byeonghwa Jeon |
| author_sort | Myungseo Park |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <i>Listeria monocytogenes</i> is a foodborne pathogen that can develop serious invasive infections. Among foodborne pathogens, <i>L. monocytogenes</i> exhibits the highest case fatality despite antibiotic treatment, suggesting the current therapy should be improved. Although ampicillin and gentamicin are used as a combination therapy to treat listeriosis, our results showed there is no synergy between the two antibiotics. We discovered that aqueous extract of licorice generated significant antimicrobial synergy when combined with aminoglycosides, such as gentamicin, in <i>L. monocytogenes</i>. In the presence of 1 mg/mL licorice extract, for instance, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of gentamicin was reduced by 32-fold. Moreover, antimicrobial synergy with licorice extract made gentamicin-resistant clinical isolates of <i>L. monocytogenes</i> susceptible to gentamicin. Given the common use of licorice as a food sweetener in Western countries and a herb in Oriental medicine, our findings suggest that licorice extract can be potentially used as an antibiotic adjuvant to improve the efficacy of antimicrobial treatment of listeriosis. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T10:31:00Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-433a1ab6ecdd49a785d8cb72e2dd3f78 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-0817 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T10:31:00Z |
| publishDate | 2022-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Pathogens |
| spelling | doaj.art-433a1ab6ecdd49a785d8cb72e2dd3f782023-12-01T21:17:48ZengMDPI AGPathogens2076-08172022-04-0111444010.3390/pathogens11040440Antimicrobial Synergy between Aminoglycosides and Licorice Extract in <i>Listeria monocytogenes</i>Myungseo Park0Liz Horn1Victoria Lappi2Dave Boxrud3Craig Hedberg4Byeonghwa Jeon5Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USAPublic Health Laboratory, Minnesota Department of Health, Saint Paul, MN 55164, USAPublic Health Laboratory, Minnesota Department of Health, Saint Paul, MN 55164, USAPublic Health Laboratory, Minnesota Department of Health, Saint Paul, MN 55164, USADivision of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USADivision of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA<i>Listeria monocytogenes</i> is a foodborne pathogen that can develop serious invasive infections. Among foodborne pathogens, <i>L. monocytogenes</i> exhibits the highest case fatality despite antibiotic treatment, suggesting the current therapy should be improved. Although ampicillin and gentamicin are used as a combination therapy to treat listeriosis, our results showed there is no synergy between the two antibiotics. We discovered that aqueous extract of licorice generated significant antimicrobial synergy when combined with aminoglycosides, such as gentamicin, in <i>L. monocytogenes</i>. In the presence of 1 mg/mL licorice extract, for instance, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of gentamicin was reduced by 32-fold. Moreover, antimicrobial synergy with licorice extract made gentamicin-resistant clinical isolates of <i>L. monocytogenes</i> susceptible to gentamicin. Given the common use of licorice as a food sweetener in Western countries and a herb in Oriental medicine, our findings suggest that licorice extract can be potentially used as an antibiotic adjuvant to improve the efficacy of antimicrobial treatment of listeriosis.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/11/4/440<i>Listeria</i>antimicrobial synergydrug potentiationplant extractaminoglycosides |
| spellingShingle | Myungseo Park Liz Horn Victoria Lappi Dave Boxrud Craig Hedberg Byeonghwa Jeon Antimicrobial Synergy between Aminoglycosides and Licorice Extract in <i>Listeria monocytogenes</i> Pathogens <i>Listeria</i> antimicrobial synergy drug potentiation plant extract aminoglycosides |
| title | Antimicrobial Synergy between Aminoglycosides and Licorice Extract in <i>Listeria monocytogenes</i> |
| title_full | Antimicrobial Synergy between Aminoglycosides and Licorice Extract in <i>Listeria monocytogenes</i> |
| title_fullStr | Antimicrobial Synergy between Aminoglycosides and Licorice Extract in <i>Listeria monocytogenes</i> |
| title_full_unstemmed | Antimicrobial Synergy between Aminoglycosides and Licorice Extract in <i>Listeria monocytogenes</i> |
| title_short | Antimicrobial Synergy between Aminoglycosides and Licorice Extract in <i>Listeria monocytogenes</i> |
| title_sort | antimicrobial synergy between aminoglycosides and licorice extract in i listeria monocytogenes i |
| topic | <i>Listeria</i> antimicrobial synergy drug potentiation plant extract aminoglycosides |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/11/4/440 |
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