Clemastine as Antimicrobial Agent: Effectiveness and Mechanism of Action

Abstract

In this investigation, the antimicrobial activity of Clemastine was studied.The Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MICs) of this drug against some bacteria were determined using tube dilution method.To find out the bactericidal activity of Clemastine, the number of living bacteria in the presence of drug was counted by a culture method (pour plate method). Thereafter, the preservative effectiveness of Clemastine was studied in detail using standard method (USP 1985).The results show a good antibacterial but not antifungal activity.
In considering the mechanism of action of Clemastine, it can be seen that the drug has some effect on cell membrane permeability and causes leakage of intracellular material including the K+ .Comparing the bactericidal results with the leakage of K+, shows that the leakage may be due to the bactericidal activity of the drug.