SELECTIVE ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF TRITERPENE DERIVATIVES

Several triterpenic derivatives were tested for antimicrobial activity on both oral and non-oral bacteria. Among 61 compounds examined, 30 s howed an inhibiting activity on at least one of the bacteria tested an d nine had a broad spectrum antimicrobial activity. MICs and toxicitie s were determined for the most active compounds. Five compounds exerte d their inhibitory activity only on,Streptococcus mutans strains, and one substance was active only on the Porphyromonas gingivalis isolate tested. In addition, two derivatives inhibited both S. mutans and P. g ingivalis growth. Drugs 2616 and 2617 had a protection index (PI) of 3 3 on S. mutans, whilst compound 2888 had a PI of 16 on P. gingivalis.