2-(2-Nitrovinyl) furan exacerbates oxidative stress responses of Escherichia coli to bacteriostatic and bactericidal antibiotics

Abstract The influence of 2-(2-nitrovinyl) furan on the activities of selected bacteriostatic and bactericidal antibiotics was investigated. Minimum inhibitory concentration and fractional inhibitory concentration index were determined to evaluate the interaction between 2-(2-nitrovinyl) furan and the antibiotics. 2-(2-nitrovinyl) furan exhibited additive interactions with chloramphenicol, erythromycin, lincomycin and gemifloxacin. However, synergistic interaction was observed with amoxicillin, ampicillin and ciprofloxacin. Superoxide anion content of Escherichia coli exposed to antibiotics with/without 2-(2-nitrovinyl) furan increased significantly ( p E. coli exposed to antibiotics and 2-(2-nitrovinyl) furan. It can be deduced from this study that 2-(2-nitrovinyl) furan enhanced bacteriostatic and bactericidal antibiotics-mediated bacterial death possibly by potentiating reactive oxygen species generation and oxidative stress.