Effect of L-cysteine on the activity of penicillin antibiotics against Clostridium difficile.

We observed elevated MICs of penicillin antibiotics while performing agar dilution susceptibility testing of strains of Clostridium difficile on supplemented brain heart infusion agar, an effect which was completely eliminated by the exclusion of L-cysteine from the medium. L-Cysteine antagonizes the activity of penicillins against C. difficile, most likely by direct inactivation of the antibiotic.