Repurposing of escitalopram oxalate and clonazepam in combination with ciprofloxacin and sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim for treatment of multidrug-resistant microorganisms and evaluation of the cleavage capacity of plasmid DNA
Bacterial resistance has propelled one of the most serious public health problems in the world. In this sense, drug repurposing has emerged for faster identification of effective drugs. The aim of this study was to investigate the repurposing of escitalopram oxalate and clonazepam drugs individually and in combination with antibiotics ciprofloxacin and sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim to treat multidrug-resistant microorganisms (MDR) and to evaluate the chemical nuclease capacity. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), fractional inhibitory concentration index (FICI) and tolerance level were determined against each microorganism tested. In vitro antibacterial activity was evaluated against forty-seven multidrug-resistant clinical isolates and eleven standard bacterial strains of the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC). Escitalopram oxalate was active mainly against Gram-positive and clonazepam against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. When associated with the two antibiotics mentioned, they had a significant synergistic effect. Clonazepam was able to cleave plasmid DNA and the mechanisms involved were oxidative and hydrolytic. These results allow us to suggest repurposing these non-antibiotic drugs to treat bacterial infections. However, further studies on the mechanism of action of these drugs should be performed, including to increase safety in use.