Antibiotic-unsaturated acid compsns. - having a synergistic effect against gram positive and negative bacteria

Abstract

Abstract The antimicrobial activity of an antibiotic is increased by adding to the antibiotic an unsatd. fatty acid having a chain length between 14 and 22C atoms or a salt of such an acid. Pharmaceutical compsns. contng. such mixtures are also new. The synergistic effect between the antibiotic and the acid, makes the compsns. effective against resistant strains. Suitable antibiotics include penicillins, cephalosporins, macrolides, chloramphenicol, tetracyclines, streptomycin, colistin, bleomycin, chromomycin A3, and 5-fluorouracil. The acid is pref. of formula CnH2n-aCOOR where R = H, Na or K, n = 13-21 (13 & 21 excluded) and a is 1, 3, 5 or 7, typically palmito-oleic, oleic, arachidonic, linolenic or linoleinic acids. The amount of acid added depends upon the activity of the antibiotic, for example for 20 units of penicillin, 0.015 mg. of unsaturated acid, such as linolenic acid is used.

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