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Research Letter
Antibacterial activity of long-chain fatty alcohols against mycobacteria
Article first published online: 30 NOV 2012
DOI: 10.1111/1574-6968.12043
© 2012 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved
Additional Information
How to Cite
Mukherjee, K., Tribedi, P., Mukhopadhyay, B. and Sil, A. K. (2013), Antibacterial activity of long-chain fatty alcohols against mycobacteria. FEMS Microbiology Letters, 338: 177–183. doi: 10.1111/1574-6968.12043
Publication History
- Issue published online: 27 DEC 2012
- Article first published online: 30 NOV 2012
- Accepted manuscript online: 9 NOV 2012 05:05AM EST
- Manuscript Revised: 31 OCT 2012
- Manuscript Accepted: 31 OCT 2012
- Manuscript Received: 6 OCT 2012
Funded by
- University of Calcutta
- CSIR-SRF, Government of India
- Abstract
- Article
- References
- Cited By
Keywords:
- Mycobacteria;
- long-chain fatty alcohol;
- biofilm
Abstract
Tuberculosis is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis and results in innumerable deaths across the world. The emergence of multidrug-resistant and extremely drug-resistant tuberculosis strains and its coinfection with HIV has made tuberculosis more difficult to treat. Therefore, new antimycobacterial agent(s) for both therapy and disinfection are urgently required. In this context the present study describes the antibacterial property of long-chain fatty alcohols against mycobacteria. The antimycobacterial activities of alcohols with chain length ranging from C5 to C13 were examined against Mycobacterium smegmatis mc2155 and M. tuberculosis H37Rv. The best activity was found with one with a C10 chain length. This bactericidal activity can partly be attributed to its ability to damage the robust and complex cell envelope of Mycobacteria. Moreover, our study reveals the ability of decanol to attenuate biofilm formation by M. smegmatis. This knowledge can be used to develop new therapeutics and disinfectants against mycobacteria.