Bioactive 2-(methyldithio)pyridine-3-carbonitrile from Persian shallot (Allium stipitatum Regel.) exerts broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity

• Main Authors: Karunanidhi, Arunkumar, Ghaznavi-Rad, Ehsanollah, Jeevajothi Nathan, Jayakayatri, Sither Joseph Vesudian, Narcisse Mary, Chigurupati, Sridevi, Mohd Fauzi, Fazlin, Pichika, Mallikarjuna Rao, Awang Hamat, Rukman, Than, Leslie Thian Lung, Van Belkum, Alex, Neela, Vasantha Kumari
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI 2019
• Online Access: http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/38420/1/38420.pdf; http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/38420/; https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/24/6/1003
• Institution: Universiti Putra Malaysia

Antibiotic resistance is a problem that continues to challenge the healthcare sector, especially in clinically significant pathogens like methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Herein is described the isolation and structure elucidation of a bioactive compound from Allium stipitatum with antimicrobial activity. Crude Allium stipitatum dichloromethane extract (ASDE) was subjected to systematic purification by chromatographic procedures to afford various bioactive fractions. A fraction that exhibited anti-MRSA activity (4 µg·mL−1) was further characterized to determine the structure. The structure of the compound was elucidated as 2-(methyldithio)pyridine-3-carbonitrile (2-Medpy-3-CN). The 2-Medpy-3-CN compound, which was screened for antimicrobial activity, exhibited minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) in the range of 0.5 to >64 µg·mL−1 for tested bacterial species and 0.25 to 2 µg·mL−1 for Candida spp. Further studies are important to confirm the drug target and mechanism of action.