The Action of the Selenomorpholine Compounds on Escherichia coli Growth by Microcalorimetry

The action of three kinds of the selenomorpholine compounds on a strain ofEscherichia coli was studied by microcalorimetry. Differences in their capacities to affect the metabolism of this bacterium were observed. The extent and duration of the effect on the metabolism as judged from the rate constant (k) of Escherichia coli (in log phase) varied with the different drugs. The kinetics show that selenomorpholine compounds had an effect on the metabolism process of Escherichia coli. The k of Escherichia coli in the presence of the drugs increased with the increasing concentrations of the drugs (C) at low concentration; but at high concentration, the rate constant decreased with the increasing concentrations of the drugs. The experimental results reveal that the sequence of antibiotic activity of selenomorpholines is: N-selenomorpholinemethyl succinimide and its hydrochloride>N-(α-selenomorpholinebenzyl) succinimide. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.