Evaluation of antibacterial activity of famotidine, ranitidine and cimetidine : in vitro study

Abstract EN

Background : selective antihistamine receptor type 2 blockers like famotidine, ranitidine and cimetidine are widely used for treatment of peptic ulcer, and because many no antibiotics agents have antibacterial activity.

Aims : this study aimed to evaluate the antibacterial effects of famotidine, ranitidine and cimetidine.

Material and methods : Twenty two of bacterial isolates were selected and obtained from National Chemical Laboratory (NCL), from conjunctiva : 5 Staphylococcus aureus, 5 Escherichia coli, 6 Pseudomonas aeruginosa and (6)Klebsiella pneumoniae.

The drug's effects determined by Agar disc diffusion and Agar well diffusion methods, then evaluation done through measurments of zone of inhibition and minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC).

Results : results showed that cimetidine and ranitidine have non-significant and negligible antibacterial effects, while famotidine have significant antibacterial effects (P ≤ 0.01) against Escherichia coli (MIC8mg/ml and inhibition zone 25mm) and moderately against Staphylococcus aureus.

Conclusions : famotidine have significant antibacterial activity especially against Escherichia coli.