Antibacterial activity of an ethyl acetate extract of Pseudomonas sp. UJ-6 against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Abstract

In an effort to discover an alternative antibiotic for treating infections with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Pseudomonas sp. UJ-6, a marine bacterium that exhibited antibacterial activity against MRSA, was isolated. The culture broth and its ethyl acetate extract exhibited bactericidal activity against MRSA. The extract also exhibited antibacterial activity against gram-negative bacteria, which were not susceptible to vancomycin. The treatment of MRSA with the extract resulted in abnormal cell lysis. The extract retained >95% of its anti-MRSA activity after heat treatment for 15 min at 121°C. Thus, although most antibiotics are unstable under conditions of thermal stress, Pseudomonas sp. UJ-6 produces a heat-stable anti-MRSA substance. The results of this study strongly suggest that Pseudomonas sp. UJ-6 can be used to develop a novel, heat-stable, broad-spectrum antibiotic for the treatment of MRSA infections. © The Korean Society of Fisheries and Aquatic Science.