Antimicrobial Activity of Oleanolic Acid from Salvia officinalis and Related Compounds on Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci (VRE)

• Published in: Biological & Pharmaceutical Bulletin Vol. 30; no. 6; pp. 1147 - 1149
• Main Authors: Horiuchi, Kumiko, Shiota, Sumiko, Hatano, Tsutomu, Yoshida, Takashi, Kuroda, Teruo, Tsuchiya, Tomofusa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan The Pharmaceutical Society of Japan 01-06-2007; Pharmaceutical Society of Japan; Japan Science and Technology Agency
• Subjects: Anti-Bacterial Agents - isolation & purification; Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; bactericidal activity; Enterococcus faecalis - drug effects; Enterococcus faecium - drug effects; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Molecular Structure; oleanolic acid; Oleanolic Acid - isolation & purification; Oleanolic Acid - pharmacology; Sage; Salvia officinalis - chemistry; ursolic acid; Vancomycin - pharmacology; Vancomycin Resistance; vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE)
• ISSN: 0918-6158; 1347-5215
• DOI: 10.1248/bpb.30.1147

An extract from Salvia officinalis (Sage) leaves showed antimicrobial activity against vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). We isolated the effective compound and identified it as oleanolic acid, a triterpenoid. We also tested antimicrobial activity of similar triterpenoids, ursolic acid, uvaol, betulinic acid and betulin. We found that ursolic acid also showed antimicrobial activity against VRE. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of oleanolic acid and ursolic acid were 8 and 4 μg/ml, respectively. These two compounds also showed antimicrobial activity against Streptococcus pneumoniae and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). These compounds showed bactericidal activity against VRE at least for 48 h when added at concentrations that were two-times higher than their MICs.