Effect of magnesium and zinc on antimicrobial activities of some antibiotics

Abstract

Mg and Zn are essential elements in biological system. They are essential for enzymatic activity, maintaining three-dimensional structure of proteins, for the synthesis of nucleic acids and proteins etc. Deficiency of Mg and Zn causes different life threatening diseases. That is why the optimum level of Mg and Zn must be maintained for all biological systems. The experiment was aimed to evaluate the effect of magnesium and zinc on the efficacy of antibiotic agents against different microorganisms. It has been observed that the antibiotic activity of an antibiotic agent increased significantly with concomitant use of Mg salt at a concentration ranging from 3-9 microg per antibiotic disc. Similarly, Zn salt increased the activity of an antibiotic at a concentration ranging from 9-15 microg per antibiotic disc. The experiment revealed that concomitant administration of antibiotic with Mg or Zn salt not only will supplement the deficiency of these electrolytes but also will increase the activity of antibiotics against different bacterial strains.