José M. Cruz
University of Vigo, Spain
Title: Could be biosurfactant extracts a new generation of antibiotics?
Biography
Biography: José M. Cruz
Abstract
Usually, pharmaceutical active ingredients, like antibiotics are composed by synthetic or microbial compounds that sometimes are combined to obtain the desire effect. However occasionally the pharmacological activity of antibiotics decreases because of the resistance of pathogenic microorganism, being of crucial importance the search of new drugs. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the antimicrobial and cytotoxic effect of a biosurfactant extract obtained from a fermented maize kernel extract against bacteria and fungi using in vitro assays. Methodology & Theoretical Orientation: Biosurfactant extracts were obtained from a fermented kernel extract by liquid-liquid extraction with ethyl acetate followed by the removal of organic solvent by distillation. Antimicrobial assays were carried out using pathogenic strains including E. coli; Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans and Aspergillus brasiliensis; whereas cytotoxic assays were carried out using fibroblasts. Findings: The biosurfactant extract under evaluation showed an important antimicrobial activity against bacteria and fungi being able to kill them in vitro assays, without observing relevant cytotoxic effect on fibroblasts. Figure 1 shows the general structure of lipopeptides forming micelles and a pathogenic microorganism. Conclusion & Significance: Based on the antimicrobial spectra of the biosurfactant extract obtained from maize fermented kernel it could be speculated that biosurfactants of microbial origin, could be included in pharmaceutical formulations alone or in combination with other drugs as a new generation of active principles.