Studies on the antibacterial activity of phanquone: effect on metabolic activities of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus.

Phanquone partically inhibited oxygen consumption by Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus; its effect was more pronounced when succinate, rather than glucose, was used as an energy source. It also inhibited dehydrogenase activities when estimated by the TTC method with succinate, lactate or malate as substrate, but not with glucose or pyruvate. The uptake of 32 P-phosphate, 14C-glutamate and, to a lesser extent, 14C-proline was retarded in its presence. Both E. coli and S. aureus took up Phanquone in a Langmuirian fashion. Leakage of intracellular 32P-containing compounds was not observed even when high concentrations of Phanquone were used.