ABSTRACT
One of the most important features of foodstuffs and plant extract-based products is related to their fragile stability, especially when exposed to several ambient factors such as air, light radiation, heat and water vapour. The latter may contribute to the increase of free or bound water associated to the product. In this scenario, these variables may lead to different phenomena such as self-oxidation and hydrolysis of functional compounds and thus, a considerable inconsistency of products where these substances are part of occurs.
Subject(s)
Humans , Freeze Drying , Plant Extracts , Food Production , HydrolysisABSTRACT
Introducción: debido a la problemática actual de fármaco-resistencia hacia los antibióticos b-lactámicos, se ha hecho necesario, en busca de una solución, trabajar con nuevas moléculas con potencial farmacológico, así como utilizar novedosos sistemas poliméricos como matrices o excipientes farmacéuticos. Objetivo: evaluar la actividad antibiótica de la ampicilina, combinada con un compuesto sintético de tipo chalcona, denominado (2E)-3-(2,3-dimetoxifenil)-1-(4-metilfenil)prop-2-en- 1-ona, sobre un aislamiento clínico de Staphylococcus aureus resistente a penicilinas, en presencia de una matriz polimérica hidrosoluble denominada poli(ácido maleico-co-2-vinilpirrolidona). Materiales y métodos: el compuesto sintético y la matriz polimérica se obtuvieron por métodos descritos en la literatura. Se usó un aislamiento clínico de Staphylococcus aureus resistente a penicilinas y se hicieron ensayos de actividad antibiótica por la técnica de macrodilución en caldo, de la cual se obtuvieron las concentraciones inhibidoras mínimas de los compuestos evaluados. Resultados: la mezcla ampicilina-chalcona muestra un efecto antibiótico menor que el de su referente ampicilina-sulbactam. No obstante, cuando se utiliza la matriz polimérica en combinación con la ampicilina-chalcona se aprecia un incremento significativo de la actividad antibiótica, evidenciado en que la concentración inhibidora mínima es la mitad de la del referente comercial.
Introduction: Due to the current problem of resistance to b-lactam antibiotics, it has become necessary, in search of a solution, to work with new molecules with pharmacological potential, and to use novel polymeric systems as matrices or pharmaceutical excipients. Objective: To evaluate the antibiotic activity of ampicillin combined with a synthetic chalcone-type compound, the (2E)-3-(2,3-dimethoxyphenyl)-1-(4- methylphenyl) prop-2-en-1-one, on a clinical isolate of penicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in the presence of a water soluble polymer matrix known as poly(maleic acid-co-2-vinyl-pyrrolidone). Materials and methods: The synthetic compound and the polymeric matrix were obtained by previously described methods. Tests for antibiotic activity against the strain of penicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus were done by the broth dilution technique which provided the minimal inhibitory concentrations of the compounds tested. Results: The chalcone-ampicillin mix shows lesser antibiotic effect than the ampicillin-sulbactam used as referent. However, when such mix is combined with the polymer matrix, antibiotic activity significantly increases as evidenced by decrease in the minimal inhibitory concentration with respect to the ampicillin-sulbactam referent.