Pharmacology of Iridoid: Antimicrobial Activities of Aucubin

Antimicrobial activities of aucubin, an iridoid glycoside, were investigated. Gram-positive bacterium, S. aureus appeared to be more sensitive to aucubin's aglucone, aucubigenin than Gram-negative, E. coli did. Antimicrobial activities produced by aucubigenin may result in part from the inhibition of RNA and protein biosyntheses in bacterial cells. The conversion of aucubin iridoid glycoside into aucubigenin, an aglucone, appears to be a prerequisite step to exhibit the antimicrobial activities.