Antibacterial activities of macrolactin A and 7-O-succinyl macrolactin A from Bacillus polyfermenticus KJS-2 against vancomycin-resistant enterococci and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

The principal objective of this study was to evaluate the antibacterial activities of macrolactin A (MA) and 7-O-succinyl macrolactin A (SMA) generated from Bacillus polyfermenticus KJS-2 against vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VREs) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. The minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of MA and SMA against VREs were 16 and 2∼1 μg/mL, respectively, and the MICs of MA and SMA against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus were 2 and < 0.25 μg/mL, respectively. Their MIC values were comparable or superior to those of teicoplanin. In evaluating the inhibitory effects of intestinal VRE colonization in mice, the oral MA and SMA effected a rapid inhibition of intestinal VRE colonization in mice, and the intraperitoneal SMA also inhibited VRE colonization, whereas intraperitoneal MA did not.