Anti-quorum sensing activity of medicinal plants in southern Florida

• Published in: Journal of ethnopharmacology Vol. 105; no. 3; pp. 427 - 435
• Main Authors: Adonizio, Allison L., Downum, Kelsey, Bennett, Bradley C., Mathee, Kalai
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier Ireland Ltd 24.05.2006; Elsevier
• Subjects: Agrobacterium tumefaciens; Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; Anti-infective potential; Anti-quorum sensing; antibacterial properties; Antimicrobial activity; bacterial infections; Bacterial Infections - drug therapy; Biological and medical sciences; Bucuda burceras; Callistemon viminalis; Chamaecyce hypericifolia; chemical constituents of plants; Chromobacterium violaceum; Combretaceae; Conocarpus erectus; Euphorbiaceae; Florida; General pharmacology; Medical sciences; Medicinal plants; medicinal properties; Melastomataceae; Myrtaceae; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Phytotherapy; plant extracts; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Plants, Medicinal; Quercus virginiana; Quorum sensing; Signal Transduction - drug effects; Southern Florida; Tetrazygia bicolor; Florida; United States; North America; America; Medicinal plants; QS; Antimicrobial activity; X-gal; Southern Florida; AHL; Anti-infective potential; Quorum sensing; wt; Anti-quorum sensing; Pharmacognosy; Plant origin; Antiinfectious; Antimicrobial agent; Medicinal plant
• ISSN: 0378-8741; 1872-7573
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2005.11.025

Bacterial intercellular communication, or quorum sensing (QS), controls the pathogenesis of many medically important organisms. Anti-QS compounds are known to exist in marine algae and have the ability to attenuate bacterial pathogenicity. We hypothesized that terrestrial plants traditionally used as medicines may also produce anti-QS compounds. To test this hypothesis, 50 medicinal plants from southern Florida were screened for anti-QS activity using two biomonitor strains, Chromobacterium violaceum and Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Of these plants, six showed QS inhibition: Conocarpus erectus L. (Combretaceae), Chamaecyce hypericifolia (L.) Millsp. (Euphorbiaceae), Callistemon viminalis (Sol. ex Gaertn.) G. Don (Myrtaceae), Bucida burceras L. (Combretaceae), Tetrazygia bicolor (Mill.) Cogn. (Melastomataceae), and Quercus virginiana Mill. (Fagaceae). This study introduces not only a new mode of action and possible validation for traditional plant use, but also a potentially new therapeutic direction for the treatment of bacterial infections.