Vitamin C vs Pseudomonas Aeruginosa

Bactericidal Action of Ascorbic Acid on Pseudomonas Aeruginosa: Alteration of Cell Surface as a Possible Mechanism (Vita C as Catalyst)

Abstract

Neutralised ascorbic acid is found to exert a strong bactericidal action on Pseudomonas aeruginosa suspended in isotonic phosphate buffer at pH 7.1. Both the bactericidal and bacteriostatic action of ascorbic acid are antagonised by magnesium ions. In the absence of complex formation between magnesium and ascorbic acid it is concluded that ascorbic acid acts by competing with the magnesium binding sites in the cell wall, cell membrane or ribosomes. Using the chequer-board titration method the synergistic action of ascorbic acid and erythromycin is determined; such a potentiation of erythromycin is also adversely affected by magnesium ions. P. aeruginosa cells, washed and suspended in isotonic phosphate buffer containing ascorbic acid, became increasingly susceptible to the action of polymyxin, erythromycin, chloramphenicol, neomycin and tetracycline. It is suggested that ascorbic acid alters the cell surface to render it increasingly permeable to these antibiotics.

© 1978 S. Karger AG, Basel

http://www.karger.com/Article/PDF/237777
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/207492

Synergic interaction between ascorbic acid and antibiotics against Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Luciana CursinoI, II; Edmar Chartone-SouzaI; Andréa Maria Amaral
NascimentoI, *

IDepartamento de Biologia Geral; Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais;
Avenida Antônio Carlos, 6627; 31270-901; Belo Horizonte - MG - Brazil
IIDepartamento de Genética ESALQ/USP; Av. Pádua Dias, 11; 1340-097;
Piracicaba - SP - Brazil

Abstract

Studies were carried out on in vitro combination of ascorbic acid (AA)
with six antibiotics against 12 multi-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa
isolates. Synergic activity was detected with AA chloramphenicol,
kanamycin, streptomycin and tetracycline. Indifference was observed to
any antibiotics and antagonism only for chloramphenicol. Results
indicated that multiresistant P. aeruginosa was affected by combination
of AA and antibiotics. Future research on ascorbic acid-antimicrobial
interactions may find new methods to control strains of multiresistant
P. aeruginosa.

Key words: Ascorbic acid, antibiotic, synergy, Pseudomonas aeruginosa

http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1516-89132005000300007&lng=en&nrm=iso&tlng=en

Vitamin C Mitigates Oxidative Stress and Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha in Severe Community-Acquired Pneumonia and LPS-Induced Macrophages

http://www.hindawi.com/journals/mi/2014/426740/


IV vitamin C article courtesy of Tim Ewer, Gerald Lewis and ACNEM

This article on use of intravenous vitamin C was originally published in The Journal of the Australian College of Nutritional and Environmental Medicine, Volume 30 No 1, April 2011.

http://www.holistic-doc-pain-support.com/IV-vitamin-C.html