Antiviral and virucidal activities against SARS-CoV-2 and antibacterial properties of bile acids and their salts with naturally occurring organic cations of l-carnitine, creatinine, and choline.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
In vitro bench research assessing antiviral and antibacterial properties with no human data
PubMed 41357123 · doi:10.1039/d5ra07917a
What was done
Four bile acids (lithocholic acid [LCA], deoxycholic acid [DCA], ursodeoxycholic acid [UDCA], and chenodeoxycholic acid [CDCA]) were combined with l-carnitine, creatinine, and choline to synthesize salt derivatives. The parent bile acids and their salts were evaluated in vitro for antiviral and virucidal activity against SARS-CoV-2 and for antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria (Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Enterococcus faecalis) and one Gram-negative bacterium (Escherichia coli).
What was found
LCA displayed virucidal activity against SARS-CoV-2 with an EC50 of 9.69 µg mL-1 and a selectivity index >5.16. Its salt derivatives were 1.31 to 3.27 times less active than parent LCA. DCA, UDCA, and CDCA showed antibacterial activity against all tested Gram-positive and Gram-negative species. Cholinium salts enhanced antibacterial activity, including a 41.4–41.5% improvement for the DCA-cholinium salt relative to DCA alone.
Why it matters
This study shows that forming cholinium salts of bile acids selectively improves antibacterial properties against tested pathogens without enhancing virucidal activity against SARS-CoV-2.
Limits
All findings are derived solely from in vitro cell culture and bacterial assays. No in vivo animal models or human subjects were tested, and specific quantitative inhibitory concentrations for most bacterial strains were not provided in the abstract.
Cited by
- supports TUDCA is an antibacterial bile salt.