In vitro activity of macrolides and lincosamides against oral streptococci: a therapeutic alternative in prophylaxis for infective endocarditis

Anodic polarographic determination of josamycin in formulations and spiked human urine

The anodic polarographic behaviour of josamycin (a macrolide antibiotic) has been studied using direct current (DC(t)) polarography and differential pulse polarography (DPP). In Britton-Robinson buffers (BRb) josamycin exhibited well-defined anodic polarographic waves in the pH range 2-8. In BRb of pH 6, the diffusion-current constant was 1.62 microA mmol(-1) (n = 6). The current-concentration plots are rectilinear over the range 10-50 and 5-40 microg/ml using the DC(t) and DPP modes, respectively, with a detection limit of 4.83 x 10(-6) M adopting the DPP mode. The method was applied to commercial tablets adopting both DC(t) and DPP modes, the recoveries % were 99.13 +/- 2.22 (n = 10) and 99.82 +/- 1.82 (n = 7), respectively. The method was further extended to the in vitro determination of josamycin in human urine, the recovery % (n = 6) was 100.06 +/- 2.84. The number of electrons involved in the electrode process could be accomplished and a proposal of electrode reaction was presented.

A new biotyping method for Streptococcus mutans with the API ZYM system

OBJECTIVE: To test a new system for the biotyping of Streptococcus mutans, based on the measurement of enzyme activity, and to investigate the relationship between biotype and in vitro susceptibility to seven clinically useful antibiotics. METHODS: In total, 160 oral isolates of S. mutans were classified into different biotypes with the APIZYM test for enzyme activity, excluding results that were positive or negative in >80% of the strains. The susceptibility of all 160 strains to amoxycillin, cefazolin, erythromycin, clindamycin, vancomycin, teicoplanin and imipenem was tested by dilution in a solid medium. Statistical analysis of susceptibility (mean minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs)) was based on chi-squared tests. RESULTS: Eight different biotypes (1-8) were identified on the basis of three kinds of enzyme activity: valine aryl amidase, acid phosphatase and alpha-galactosidase. Biotype 5 was found to be the most common. The mean MIC values showed strains belonging to biotype 4 to be the most susceptible to amoxycillin, cefazolin and erythromycin, whereas biotype 1 was the least susceptible to teicoplanin. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed biotyping method, which is relatively fast and simple to perform, provided reproducible results, and may contribute to clinically effective treatment of S. mutans infections.