Med. Bull. Fukuoka Univ.

,04, +3/+31, +333

Antibacterial Activity of Epigallocatechin Gallate against Staphylococci

Chie AC9D, Kenji KDCD, Ichiro T6I6G6, Seiji T6@:96, Kikuo AG6@6L6 and Yukihiko H6G6
The Second Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine Fukuoka University Food Research Laboratory, Mitsui Norin Co., Ltd.

Abstract : To evaluate the antimicrobial activity of epigallocatechin gallate EGCg, we examined the MICs Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations of EGCg against +** clinical isolates of Staphylococci, including .* strains of methicillinresistant Staphylococcus aureus MRSA, -* strains of methicillinsensitive Staphylococcus aureus MSSA, ,* strains of methicillinresistant coagulasenegative Staphylococcus MR CNS, and +* strains of methicillinsensitive coagulasenegative Staphylococcus MS CNS. All MICs obtained were distributed between 0. and +,2 mgml. As a result, EGCg appeared to be effective against not only MRSA strains, but also against MSSA, MRCNS, and MSCNS. Key words : MRSA, Japanese green tea, catechin, epigallocatechin gallate

Introduction Staphylococci species such as Staphylococcus aureus and coagulasenegative Staphylococcus are common bacterial strains in human hosts and human environments. The endogenous transmission of MRSA methicillinresistant Staphylococcus aureuss and these staphylococci species can cause a variety of nosocomial infections such as cathether bloodstream infections, surgical site infections,+ mechanical valve infections, and CAPD continuous ambulatory peritoneal dyalysis peritonitis., To prevent these infections, eradication therapy against Staphylococci should be performed.- Mupirocin ointment is widely used for this purpose, but mupirocin resistant bacteria have also recently been reported.. These organisms can sometimes become a serious problem in clinical settings.

In earlier studies we reported on the antibacterial activity of epigallocatechin gallate EGCg, a component of Japanese green tea extract, against MRSA/ and Helicobacter pylori.0 In the present study we examined the antimicrobial activity of EGCg against MSSA methicillinsensitive Staphylococcus aureus and CNS coagulasenegative staphylococci. Materials and Methods Bacteria All recovered strains of Staphylococcus species that were identified in the Clinical Laboratory Service in our university hospital in +33-.1 Strains of S. aureus .* strains of MRSA and -* strains of MSSA and CNS ,* strains of MRCNS and +* strains of MS CNS that were found to be oxacillinresistant by the KirbyBauer method were consid-

Address reprint requests to : Chie Ando, M. D. graduate school student Second department of internal medicine Fukuoka Univercity School of Medicine ./+, 1chome, Nanakuma, Jonanku, Fukuoka 2+.*+2*, Japan. Phone : 2+3,2*++*++ ext. --02 Fax 2+3,20/,03,

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Fig. +

The disks of EGCg are seen to form an inhibition zone on agar plates of MRCNS, MSCNS, MRSA, and MSSA.

Table +

Antibacterial activity of epigallocatechin gallate EGCg against isolates of MRSA .* isolates, MSSA -*, MR CNS ,*, and MSCNS +*. 0. 0 * 2 1 ,+ +,2 -. -* +, 13 Total .* -* ,* +* +**

MIC mgml MRSA MSSA MRCNS MSCNS Total

After transferring an equivalent of +*. bacteria to each well of a series of multiwell culture plates, the plates were then further incubated at -/ for +2 hr. MIC was defined as the lowest concentration of catechins that allowed no visible growth. Statistical significance was evaluated by the Students ttest. Results and Discussion As, shown in the Table, -. isolates of MRSA had an MIC of +,2 mgml and the other 0 had an MIC of 0. mgml. All -* MSSA isolates had an MIC of +,2 mgml. As a result, the MRSAs appeared to be more sensitive against EGCg than MSSA p*/. The MICs of +, MRCNS isolates were +,2 mgml and those 2 MRCNS isolates were 0. mgml. The MICs of - MSCNS isolates were +,2 mgml and those of the other 1 were 0. mgml. In this study, the MICs of all bacterial strains were distributed between 0. and +,2 mgml. The above results suggest that EGCg is effective against both MR and MS Staphylococcus aureus and coagulasenegative Staphylococcus. We therefore consider EGCg to be a preventive agent against colitis and surgical site infections caused by MRSA. Moreover, if in addition to MRSA, EGCg can also successfully eradicate MSSA, MR, and MS

ered to be methicillinresistant.2 As a result, .* strains of MRSA, -* strains of MSSA, ,* strains of MRCNS, and +* strains of MS CNS were examined for the study. Catechin Purified epigallocatechin gallate EGCg Mitsui Norin Co., Ltd., Fujieda, Shizuoka, Japan was kindly donated by the Central Labolatory of Mitsui Norin Co. MICs minimum inhibitory concentrations The MICs of all isolates were determined by testing their sensitivities to the antimicrobial agents using the microdilution method. EGCg was diluted to concentrations of *,/, */, +, ,, ., 2, +0, -,, 0., +,2, ,/0, and /+, mgml in MuellerHinton broth Difco Labolatories, Detroit, Michigan, USA. The bacteria were subcultured overnight and then suspended in saline solution.

Epigallocatechin gallate and Staphylococcus AC9D et al.

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CNS strains colonized in the intestium and skin, then this agent appears to have a good prophylaxis potential for the treatment of MSSASSI surgical site infection, CAPD peritonitis, mechanical valve endocarditis, and urinary tract infections caused by CNS. Although its MIC is not very low, we also consider that EGCg might be suitable as a substitute for Mupirocin to eradicate MRSA colonized in the respiratory tract, intestine, and skin. Since Japanese people are accustomed to drinking green tea daily, such catechin therapy can be easily administered in hospital settings in our country if this therapy is definitively proved to be effective for the decolonization of Staphylococci. Acknowledgement We thank Ms. Yumiko Hanada for her valuable technical assistance.
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, Herwaldt, L. A. : Reduction of Staphylococcus aureus nasal carriage and infection in dialysis patients. J. Hosp. Infect. .* : S+-,-, +332. - Casewell, M. W. : The nose : an underestimated source of Staphylococcus aureus causing wound infection. J. Hosp. Infect. .* : S-++, +332. . Mark, A. M et al. : Developement of mupirocin resistance among methicillinresistant Staphylococcus aureus after widespread use of nasal mupilocin ointment. Infect. Control. Hosp. Epidemiol. +1 : 2++2+-, +330. / Kono, K. Tatara, I. Takeda, S. et al. : Antibacterial activity of epigallocatechin gallate against methicillinresistant Staphylococcus aureus. J. Jpn. Assoc. Infect. Dis. 02 : +/+2+/,,, +33.. 0 Kono, K. Tatara, I. Takeda, S. Arakawa, K. et al. : Antibacterial activity of epigallocatechin gallate against Helicobacter pylori : Synergistic effect with plaunotol. J. Infect. Chemother. - : +1*+1,, +331. 1 Kono, K. and Arakawa, K. Methicillinresistant Staphylococcus aureus MRSA isolated in clinics and hospitals in the Fukuoka City area. J. Hosp. Inf. ,3 : ,0/,1-, +33/. 2 National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards. Performance Standards for Antimicrobial Disease Susceptibility Test, .th ed ; Approved Standard. NCCLS, +33*. Received on July +0, +333, Accepted on October ,,, +333