Microcalorimetric study of Escherichia coli growth inhibited by the selenomorpholine complexes.

The inhibitory or antibiotic action of four kinds of the selenomorpholine complex on a strain of Escherichia coli was studied by microcalorimetry. Differences in their capacities to inhibit the metabolism of this bacterium were observed. The extent and duration of the inhibitory effect on the metabolism as judged from the rate constant, k, and the half-inhibitory concentration, IC50, varied with the different drugs. The rate constant (k) of Escherichia coli (in the log phase) in the presence of the drugs decreased with increasing concentrations of the drugs (C). The relationship of k and C is nearly linear for (1) selenomorpholine and (2) selenomorpholine hydrochloride, but for (3) N,N'-methylene bisselenomorpholine and (4) N-dodecyl selenomorpholine, it is not linear. The experimental results reveal that the sequence of antibiotic activity of selenomorpholines is (3) and (4) > (1) > (2).