Cinnamic acid attenuates quorum sensing associated virulence factors and biofilm formation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1

• Published in: Biotechnology letters Vol. 40; no. 7; pp. 1087 - 1100
• Main Authors: Rajkumari, Jobina, Borkotoky, Subhomoi, Murali, Ayaluru, Suchiang, Kitlangki, Mohanty, Saswat Kumar, Busi, Siddhardha
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.07.2018; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Acids; Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; Applied Microbiology; Bacterial Proteins - pharmacology; Biochemistry; Biofilms; Biofilms - drug effects; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biotechnology; Caenorhabditis elegans - drug effects; Caenorhabditis elegans - microbiology; Cinnamates - pharmacology; Cinnamic acid; Detection; In vivo methods and tests; Inhibitors; Life Sciences; Ligands; Microbiology; Models, Molecular; Original Research Paper; Pathogens; Planktonic cells; Protective Agents - pharmacology; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Pseudomonas aeruginosa - drug effects; Quorum Sensing - drug effects; RhlR protein; Transcription factors; Viability; Virulence; Virulence factors; Virulence Factors - metabolism; Quorum-sensing; Cinnamic acid; Molecular docking; C. elegans; P. aeruginosa
• ISSN: 0141-5492; 1573-6776
• DOI: 10.1007/s10529-018-2557-9

Objective Anti-quorum sensing and anti-biofilm efficacy of Cinnamic acid against Pseudomonas aeruginosa was comparatively assessed with respect to potent quorum sensing inhibitor, Baicalein. Results At sub-lethal concentration, Cinnamic acid effectively inhibited both the production of the QS-dependent virulence factors and biofilm formation in P. aeruginosa without affecting the viability of the bacterium. The phytocompound interfered with the initial attachment of planktonic cells to the substratum thereby causing reduction in biofilm development. In addition, the in vivo study indicated that the test compound protected Caenorhabditis elegans from the virulence factors of P. aeruginosa leading to reduced mortality. The in silico analysis revealed that Cinnamic acid can act as a competitive inhibitor for the natural ligands towards the ligand binding domain of the transcriptional activators of the quorum sensing circuit in P. aeruginosa , LasR and RhlR. Conclusions The findings suggest that Cinnamic acid may serve as a novel quorum sensing based anti-infective in controlling P. aeruginosa infections.