Rifampicin Solution

13292-46-1

C43H58N4O12

822.94

Brownish-red crystalline powder

Source: Semi-synthetic: Amycolatopsis rifamycinica
PH: 4.5-6.5

­-20°C (protect from light)

Spectrum: Rifampicin is a broad-spectrum antibiotic with a wide range of activity including:
Gram-positive aerobic bacteria, particularly Staphylococcus spp and Rhodococcus equi
Brucella and some other fastidious organisms are susceptible but Gram-negative bacteria more generally are resistant
Gram-positive and Gram-negative anaerobic bacteria are inhibited at low concentrations, including Bacteroides fragilis
Chlamydophila and Rickettsia are susceptible
Mycobacterium tuberculosis: activity is high against this organism but most other mycobacteria are resistant
Some protozoa
Some fungi and poxviruses

Microbiology Applications: Rifampicin is commonly used in bacterial recombinant protein expression to inhibit bacterial RNA polymerase activity and synthesis of host bacterial proteins. Rifampicin can also be used as a selective agent to isolate Campylobacter jejuni. Rose et al. used Rifampicin (TOKU-E) in methacrylate-based copolymer films and studied its effects on biofilm formation: "Prevention of biofilm formation by methacrylate-based copolymer films loaded With Rifampin, Clarithromycin, Doxycycline alone or in combination."

Plant Biology Applications: Rifampicin has been tested in Jerusalem artichoke tuber explants by adding 10 to 50 µg/ml to the tissue culture medium. At 50 µg/ml no bacterial infection was detectable, without affecting cell division rates, cytodifferentiation and DNA synthesis. As a result, Rifampicin was used as antibacterial in the following experiments of this university department (Philips, 1981).

Eukaryotic Cell Culture Applications: Rifampicin has been shown to have immunosuppressive effects in mice. There are no immunosuppressive effects in humans when rifampicin is given in doses at or below clinically recommended levels.
Rifampicin has been shown to inhibit α-synuclein fibrillation and disaggregate fibrils in a concentration-dependent manner. Rifampicin can activate pregnane X receptor (PXR), which affects cytochrome P450, and the activity of glucuronosyltransferases and P-glycoprotein. Rifampicin has been shown to enhance CYP2C-mediated metabolism, affect compounds that are transported by P-glycoprotein and metabolized by CYP3A4.