Modulation of the antibiotic activity by the Acrocomia intumescens Drude fixed oil against MRSA and other MDR bacterial strains

• The data indicated the oils of A. intumescens as a source of fatty acids. • In GC/MS, a higher content of saturated fatty acids was detected. • The OAI has the lauric, myristic, palmitic and elaidic acids. • The OAI has a significant potential in the antibiotic modulator. The species Acrocomia intumescens Drude (Arecaceae) is an oilseed of great economic and nutritional value and its fruit (“macaúba”) has peculiar characteristics such as unique flavor, color and aroma. The objective of this work was to analyze fixed oils from the pulp and kernel of A. intumescens , regarding chemical properties, bacterial alone and in association with antibiotics against sensitive and multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria used broth microdilution assays. Physical properties such as moisture, pH, acidity, peroxide index, relative density and refractive index indicated oil stability and chemical quality. In the analysis of the oils by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC/MS), a higher content of saturated fatty acids and the majority presence of lauric, myristic, palmitic and elaidic acids were observed. In the antibacterial test, the fixed oils showed minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) ≥ 1024 μg/mL for all sensitive and MDR bacterial strains. The fixed oils showed synergistic effects in the association with gentamicin, ofloxacin and penicillin against MDR, with MIC reductions of antibiotics. In general, the interference of oils with antibiotic action is related to the type of antibiotic and bacterial strain. The results indicate the fixed oils of A. intumescens have fatty acids with the potential to synergistically modulate antibiotic activity.