New Insights into the Antimicrobial Potential of IPolyalthia longifolia/I—Antibiofilm Activity and Synergistic Effect in Combination with Penicillin against IStaphylococcus aureus/I

Widespread antibiotic resistance has led to the urgent need for the identification of new antimicrobials. Plants are considered a valuable potential resource for new effective antimicrobial compounds. Therefore, in the present study, we focused on the antimicrobial activity of Polyalthia longifolia...

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Published inMicroorganisms (Basel) Vol. 10; no. 10
Main Authors Savu, Mihaela, Simo, Marguerite Kamdem, Fopokam, Gabriel Xavier, Olaru, Stefan Mihaita, Cioanca, Oana, Boyom, Fabrice Fekam, Stefan, Marius
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published MDPI AG 01.09.2022
Subjects
Chemical properties
Drug resistance in microorganisms
Drug therapy
Magnoliidae
Materia medica, Vegetable
Penicillin
Pharmaceutical research
Plant extracts
Staphylococcus aureus infections
Romania
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Summary:Widespread antibiotic resistance has led to the urgent need for the identification of new antimicrobials. Plants are considered a valuable potential resource for new effective antimicrobial compounds. Therefore, in the present study, we focused on the antimicrobial activity of Polyalthia longifolia plants harvested from Cameroon using the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), and time-kill assays. The mechanism of action was investigated by employing fluorescence and scanning electron microscopy. The anti-Staphylococcus aureus activity was studied using biofilm inhibition and checkerboard assays. Our results revealed that the tested extracts possess important antimicrobial activities, notably against Gram positive bacteria (MICs as low as 0.039 mg/mL). P. longifolia leaf extracts exhibited a significant bactericidal effect, with a total kill effect recorded after only 2 h of exposure at concentrations equivalent to MBC (0.078 and 0.156 mg/mL). The extracts showed a synergistic antibacterial activity in combination with penicillin against a MRSA clinical isolate and significantly inhibited S. aureus biofilm formation. The mechanism of action is related to the impairment of cell membrane integrity and cell lysis. All these findings suggest that P. longifolia could be an important source of reliable compounds used to develop new antimicrobials.
ISSN:2076-2607
2076-2607
DOI:10.3390/microorganisms10101943