Antiamoebic Properties of the Actinomycete Metabolites Echinomycin A and Tirandamycin A

Authors

Avelina Espinosa, Roger Williams UniversityFollow
Aaron M. Socha, University of Rhode Island
Erica Ryke, Roger Williams University
David C. Rowley, University of Rhode Island

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2012

Comments

Published in: Parasitology Research, Volume 111, Issue 6

Abstract

Entamoeba histolytica infects 50 million people per year, causing 100,000 deaths worldwide. The primary treatment for amoebiasis is metronidazole. However, increased pathogen resistance combined with the drug’s toxic side effects encourages a search for alternative therapeutic agents. Secondary metabolites from marine bacteria are a promising resource for antiprotozoan drug discovery. In this study, extracts from a collection of marine-derived actinomycetes were screened for antiamoebic properties, and the activities of antibiotics echinomycin A and tirandamycin A are shown. Both antibiotics inhibited the in vitro growth of a E. histolytica laboratory strain (HM-1:IMSS) and a clinical isolate (Colombia, Col) at 30- to 60-μM concentrations. EIC₅₀ (estimated inhibitory concentration) values were comparable for both antibiotics (44.3–46.3 μM) against the E. histolytica clinical isolate.

Recommended Citation

Espinosa, Avelina, Aaron M. Socha, Erica Ryke, and David C. Rowley. 2012. "Antiamoebic Properties of the Actinomycete Metabolites Echinomycin A and Tirandamycin A." Parasitology Research 111 (6): 2473-2477.