ArticleEuropean journal of clinical microbiology & infectious diseases : official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology2012
Membrane-damaging potential of natural L-(-)-usnic acid in Staphylococcus aureus.
Article in European journal of clinical microbiology & infectious diseases : official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology, 2012. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 28 papers.
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Who cites it
28 citing papers in PubMed, 81 citations in OpenAlex.
- Antioxidant, antibacterial, in vitro, and in silico α-glucosidase inhibition activities and chemical profiling of Usnea cornuta Korb.PloS one · 2026Article
- A Mechanistic Insight into the Anti-Staphylococcal Mode of Action of (+)-Usnic Acid and Its Synergy with Norfloxacin Against Methicillin-ResistantBiomolecules · 2025Article
- Usnic acid impacts energy production and iron metabolism inmSystems · 2025Article
- Usnic acid and tannic acid as inhibitors of coccidia and Clostridium perfringens: alleviating necrotic enteritis and improving intestinal health in broiler chickens.Journal of animal science and biotechnology · 2025Article
- Unassuming Lichens: Nature's Hidden Antimicrobial Warriors.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Review
- GC-MS Profiling and Pharmacological Potential ofTurkish journal of pharmaceutical sciences · 2024Article
- New FeAntibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Electrospun Nanofibrous Mesh Based on PVA, Chitosan, and Usnic Acid for Applications in Wound Healing.International journal of molecular sciences · 2023Article
- Effects of the Dibenzofuran, Usnic Acid, on Inhibition of Ocular Biofilm Formation Due to Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci.Medical science monitor : international medical journal of experimental and clinical research · 2023Article
- Effectiveness of a Self-Decontaminating Coating Containing Usnic Acid in Reducing Environmental Microbial Load in Tertiary-Care Hospitals.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Article
- Safety in Rats of a Novel Nasal Spray Formulation for the Prevention of Airborne Viral Infections.Pharmaceutics · 2023Article
- Antimicrobial Effectiveness of an Usnic-Acid-Containing Self-Decontaminating Coating on Underground Metro Surfaces in Athens.Microorganisms · 2022Article
- Advances in Research on Bioactivity, Toxicity, Metabolism, and Pharmacokinetics of Usnic Acid In Vitro and In Vivo.Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Review
- The GenusMolecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Review
- Phytochemical constituents, antioxidant and antistaphylococcal activities of Evernia prunastri (L.) Ach., Pseudevernia furfuracea (L.) Zopf. and Ramalina farinacea (L.) Ach. from Morocco.Archives of microbiology · 2021Article
- Antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of Evernia prunastri extracts and their isolates.World journal of microbiology & biotechnology · 2021Article
- Usnic Acid Treatment Changes the Composition of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Cell Envelope and Alters Bacterial Redox Status.mSystems · 2021Article
- Bactericidal Activity of Usnic Acid-Chitosan Nanoparticles against Persister Cells of Biofilm-Forming Pathogenic Bacteria.Marine drugs · 2020Article
- Glabridin Averts Biofilms Formation in Methicillin-ResistantFrontiers in microbiology · 2020Article
- Synergistic Effect between Usnic Acid and Polymyxin B against Resistant Clinical Isolates ofEvidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM · 2020Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
9 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The purpose of this investigation was to try to understand the antibacterial mechanism of L-(-)-usnic acid isolated for the first time from fruticose lichen Usnea subfloridana using clinical isolates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of L-(-)-usnic acid against the clinical isolates of MRSA and reference strain S. aureus MTCC-96 (SA-96) was in the range 25-50 μg/ml. Treatment of both reference and clinical strains (MRSA-ST 2071) with four-fold MIC concentrations (100-200 μg/ml) of L-(-)-usnic acid reduced the viability of cells without damaging the cell wall. However, the loss of 260 nm absorbing material and increase in propidium iodide uptake was observed in both of the strains. Similarly, a combined effect of L-(-)-usnic acid (25-50 μg/ml) and 7.5 % NaCl resulted in a reduced number of viable cells within 24 h in comparison to the control. These observations clearly indicate that L-(-)-usnic acid exerts its action by disruption of the bacterial membrane. Further, in vivo efficacy showed that L-(-)-usnic acid significantly (p < 0.001) lowered the microbial load of spleen at doses ranging from 1 to 5 mg/kg. Further, toxicity studies in infected mice at doses 20 times higher than the efficacious dose indicated L-(-)usnic acid to be safe. Paradoxically, L-(-)usnic acid exhibited changes in serum triglycerides, alkaline phosphatase (ALKP) and liver organ weight in the healthy mice administered with only 25 mg/kg body weight. The results obtained in this study showed that natural L-(-)-usnic acid exerts its antibacterial activity against MRSA by disruption of the cell membrane. Further, the natural L-(-)-usnic acid was found to be safe up to 100 mg/kg body weight, thereby, making it a probable candidate for treating S. aureus infections.
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