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Brief Database History

In the beginning, the documentation of antimicrobial properties of natural compounds towards which humans are exposed was the intention for the creation of the database. The first name given to the data collection was AMICBASE-EssOil. It included an almost complete data review from 1975 to 1998 on the antimicrobial activity of volatile compounds produced by higher plants. Like microorganism plants are also able to produce a great variety of non-volatile compounds along several biochemical pathways. In a next step compounds of this type were added; examples are terpenes, alkaloids, fatty acids, aromatic and aliphatic substances or complex microbial metabolites. Inhibitory data of selected antibiotic drugs followed next to compare their activity with antimicrobials found in nature. The work with antibiotcs was then intensified and a series of patented compounds of microbial origin was added next. This was followed by addition of data of antibacterial and antifungal drugs, which are licensed drugs mainly in Europe, USA or Japan. Following addition of antiseptics the database represents now a huge collection of information about antibacterial an antifungal drugs.

Antimicrobials possess a wide field of applications in human and veterinary medicine, pharmacy, agriculture, industries producing food, cosmetics, household articles or technical products. However, a common and comprehensive data collection has never been scheduled. AmicBase 2005 offers a standardized compilation of such compounds: antibiotics, approved antibacterial and antifungal drugs, individual compounds produced by higher plants or microorganisms, perfumery chemicals, cosmetic chemicals, disinfectants, antiseptics and preservatives. The compounds are described by their chemical names, trade names, toxicity and inhibitory data, 2D- and 3D-structures, listing of registry numbers (Code of Federal Regulations, CAS, EINECS). The combination with (sub)structure search tools enables a finding of structure-activity relationships [Pauli, A.: Natural Principles for Growth Inhibition of Microorganisms; International Journal of Aromatherapy 13, 143-6 (2003)]), which opens new aspects in the design of future antimicrobials.

The database displays not only the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC), it also records the range of activity of antibiotic drugs. Listing of compunds active against defined species or even different strains allows a comparison with drugs recommended for treatment of infectious diseases. An additional feature of the database is the calculation of so-called xTherapeutic Indicesx. This allows the selection of compounds having low toxicity towards mammalians and strong activity against microorganisms, e.g. flurithromycin, a drug sold in Italy, shows the best calculation against pneumonia-causing microorganism Streptococcus pneumoniae by using this procedure. This species is strongly inhibited by bisabolol, a volatile constituent of chamomile, which has a long history in the treatment of respiratory tract infections by inhalation in Middle Europe.

The Combination with CS ChemOffice and MS Access

Because the DOS-version of the database had only limited functions, the data were transferred to CS ChemOffice (CambridgeSoft Corp.), MS Access (Microsoft Corp.) and ISIS/BASE (MDL Information Systems, Inc.). Comprehensive changes were necessary to utilize the possibilities of those programs, however, they turned out to be as very efficient - see screenshots of AMICBASE as CS ChemFinder, MS Access or ISIS/BASE file. CS ChemFinder and MS Access read the same data table, which is a helpful property, e.g. one can mark a record in CS ChemFinder and find this record again in MS Access. In MS Access automated functions were programmed to enable a user-friendly data management. The functionality was checked with different Windows versions. The 3D compound structures were inserted in MS Access and in 2D- and 3D-structures in CS ChemFinder, which allows structure and substructure searches combined with biological data.

Growth Rate

The data collection starts with results obtained in own experiments during university work (Institute of Preventive Medicine - University of Erlangen from 1986 to 1987 and Institute of Hygiene and Microbiology as well as Julius-von-Sachs-Institute for Biological Sciences, both University of Würzburg from 1988 to 1990). At this time the data were added to a DOS-database, which comprised 250 compounds and 3.000 data records in 1990. Later it was decided to increase the information content through addition of published data and to make the collection commercially available. The first database was named 'AMICBASE-EssOil' and contained 28.000 data records in September 1999. Addition of compounds allowed to be added to food (GRAS), fatty acids, perfumery chemicals and non-volatile compounds produced by higher plants as well as medicinally relevant antibiotics caused an increase to 45.000 data records in October 2000 and a further increase to 62.000 data records in March 2001. In November 2001 over 87.000 data records were present, of which the latest series consisted exclusively of patented antibiotics. This work continues till February 2002 - 103.000 data records. The last available Amicbase-EssOil database was published in January 2003 - it contains 131.976 data records. In February 2003, the database was named 'AMICBASE' and it contains over 143.000 data records. This increase is due to the addition of antibiotic drugs used in USA, Europe and Japan. In the year 2005 the database contains 162.000 data records - it was named 'AmicBase 2005'. At present the database contains 200.700 data records, which is due to the addition of plant derived compounds - new volume is 200.700 data records (AMICBASE-EssOil 2006).

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