Modification of Antibiotic Activity by Fixed Oil of the Artocarpus heterophyllus Almond against Standard and Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria Strains

Simple Summary The chemical characterization showed a composition of fatty acids that are normally found in other fixed oils that stand out for presenting relevant antibacterial activities alone and/or in association with antibiotics of various classes, such as beta-lactams, aminoglycosides, and fluoroquinolones, with lauric acid, myristic acid, oleic acid, and palmitic acid being the main acids in the oil. In this way, further investigations are important to verify if the main compounds present in the oil, in isolation, have antibacterial potential and the modulation capacity verified in the tests carried out with the fixed oil. Artocarpus heterophyllus (jackfruit) is an evergreen tree distributed in tropical regions and is among the most studied species of the genus Artocarpus. The jackfruit almond has been highlighted in relation to phytochemical studies, biological properties, and application in the development of food products. This study aimed to analyze jackfruit fixed oil regarding chemical components, antibacterial property alone, and in association with antibiotics against standard and MDR bacteria strains. In the analysis of the oil by gas chromatography coupled to a flame ionization detector (GC-FID), a high content of saturated fatty acids (78.51%) was identified in relation to unsaturated fatty acids (17.07%). The main fatty acids identified were lauric acid (43.01%), myristic acid (11.10%), palmitic acid (6.95%), and oleic acid (15.32%). In the antibacterial analysis, broth microdilution assays were used. The oil presented minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) >= 1024 mu g/mL in antibacterial analysis for standard and MDR bacterial strains. The oil showed synergistic effects in the association with gentamicin, ofloxacin, and penicillin against MDR strains, with significant reductions in the MIC of antibiotics. The results suggest that the fixed oil of A. heterophyllus has fatty acids with the potential to synergistically modify antibiotic activity.

Automated summary

The study revealed that jackfruit fixed oil contains fatty acids with significant antibacterial properties that can be used in combination with antibiotics, particularly leading to significant reductions in the minimum inhibitory concentration of antibiotics against MDR strains.