Amphypterygium adstringens anacardic acid mixture inhibits quorum sensing-controlled virulence factors of Chromobacterium violaceum and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND AIMS:

Quorum sensing (QS) is a process of bacterial cell-cell communication that controls a large number of systems affecting pathogenicity. Interrupting this communication system can provide nonvirulent pathogenic bacteria. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-quorum sensing (anti-QS) potential of an anacardic acids mixture isolated from Amphipterygium adstringens, a medicinal plant known as "cuachalalate", to prevent the onset of bacterial infections as an alternate to antibiotics.

METHODS:

Initially we investigated the anti-QS activity of A. adstringens hexane extract (HE) by the inhibition of violacein production in Chromobacterium violaceum. From the active HE, an anacardic acid mixture (AAM) was obtained. The anti-quorum sensing activity of AAM was investigated by the rhamnolipid and pyocyanin production constraint as well as decrease of elastase activity, all being quorum sensing-controlled virulence factors expressed in the pathogenic bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

RESULTS:

HE induced a 91.6% of inhibition of the violecin production at 55 μg/mL concentration, whereas AAM showed 94% of inhibition at 166 μg/mL. In both cases, inhibition of violacein production did not affect the viability of the bacterium. AAM inhibited pyocyanin (86% at 200 μg/mL) and rhamnolipid (91% at 500 μg/mL) production in a dose/response form and decrease the elastase (75% at 500 μg/mL) activity in P. aeruginosa without affecting its development.

CONCLUSIONS:

Because an anacardic acids mixture isolated from A. adstringens demonstrated anti-QS, it could be further exploited for novel molecules to treat the emerging infections of antibiotic-resistant bacterial pathogens.

• Authors: Israel Castillo-Juárez, Rodolfo García-Contreras, Norma Velázquez-Guadarrama, Marcos Soto-Hernández, Mariano Martínez-Vázquez
• Journal: Archives of medical research (Arch Med Res) Vol. 44 Issue 7 Pg. 488-94 (Oct 2013) ISSN: 1873-5487 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 24126126 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2013 IMSS. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Anacardic Acids
• Anti-Bacterial Agents
• Glycolipids
• Indoles
• Plant Extracts
• Virulence Factors
• rhamnolipid
• Pyocyanine
• violacein

Topics

• Anacardiaceae (chemistry)
• Anacardic Acids (isolation & purification, pharmacology)
• Animals
• Anti-Bacterial Agents (pharmacology)
• Chromobacterium (drug effects, growth & development, pathogenicity)
• Drug Resistance, Bacterial
• Glycolipids (antagonists & inhibitors, metabolism)
• Indoles (antagonists & inhibitors, metabolism)
• Male
• Mice
• Mice, Inbred BALB C
• Plant Extracts (isolation & purification, pharmacology)
• Pseudomonas aeruginosa (drug effects, growth & development, pathogenicity)
• Pyocyanine (antagonists & inhibitors, metabolism)
• Quorum Sensing (drug effects)
• Virulence Factors (antagonists & inhibitors, metabolism)