Iraqi Journal of Pharmacy

Abstract

Background: Statins are group of medicines that block mevalonate pathway by competitive inhibition of the rate limiting enzyme hydroxy-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase (HMG-CoA). Statins additionally inhibit the biosynthesis of important isoprenoid intermediates which have a role in peptidoglycan synthesis and cell growth. Several in-vivo and in-vitro studies have shown that certain type of statin family possess antibacterial activity in bacteraemia and sepsis.
Method: Two gram-positive pathogenic bacterial strain Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus species were used for examining the antimicrobial activity of the lipophilic simvastatin using nutrient agar and nutrient broth and results were calculated by measuring the clear zone around the paper disk and compared with those obtained by the antibiotics, amoxycillin and ceftriaxone.
Results: Data have shown that simvastatin 1, 3, and 10 and 30 μM inhibited both Staphylococcus aureus and bacillus species, it exhibited inhibitory zone of (17.9 ± 0.6 mm) and (16.9 ± 0.3 mm), respectively.
Conclusion: the lipid soluble simvastatin, with relatively higher concentration than those obtained in-vivo, caused a significant inhibition of both Staphylococcus aureus bacteria and bacillus species.