TY - JOUR
T1 - Anti-Quorum-Sensing Potential of Ethanolic Extracts of Aromatic Plants from the Flora of Cyprus
AU - Panayi, Tolis
AU - Sarigiannis, Yiannis
AU - Mourelatou, Elena
AU - Hapeshis, Evroula
AU - Papaneophytou, Christos
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was funded by the University of Nicosia/UNIVERSITAS Foundation Fund: Internal Funding for Research Projects, grant number: SeedGrant/2020/07, entitled “Identification and validation of natural quorum sensing inhibitors to replace antibiotics in animal farms” (Acronym: NatuFarm).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 by the authors.
PY - 2022/10
Y1 - 2022/10
N2 - Quorum sensing (QS) is a form of intra- and inter-species communication system employed by bacteria to regulate their collective behavior in a cell population-dependent manner. QS has been implicated in the virulence of several pathogenic bacteria. This work aimed to investigate the anti-QS potential of ethanolic extracts of eight aromatic plants of Cyprus, namely, Origanum vulgare subsp. hirtum, Rosmarinus officinalis, Salvia officinalis, Lavendula spp., Calendula officinalis, Melissa officinalis, Sideritis cypria, and Aloysia citriodora. We initially assessed the effects of the extracts on autoinducer 2 (AI-2) signaling activity, using Vibrio harveyi BB170 as a reported strain. We subsequently assessed the effect of the ethanolic extracts on QS-related processes, including biofilm formation and the swarming and swimming motilities of Escherichia coli MG1655. Of the tested ethanolic extracts, those of Origanum vulgare subsp. hirtum, Rosmarinus officinalis, and Salvia officinalis were the most potent AI-2 signaling inhibitors, while the extracts from the other plants exhibited low to moderate inhibitory activity. These three ethanolic extracts also inhibited the biofilm formation (>60%) of E. coli MG1655, as well as its swimming and swarming motilities, in a concentration-dependent manner. These extracts may be considered true anti-QS inhibitors because they disrupt QS-related activities of E. coli MG1655 without affecting bacterial growth. The results suggest that plants from the unexplored flora of Cyprus could serve as a source for identifying novel anti-QS inhibitors to treat infectious diseases caused by pathogens that are resistant to antibiotics.
AB - Quorum sensing (QS) is a form of intra- and inter-species communication system employed by bacteria to regulate their collective behavior in a cell population-dependent manner. QS has been implicated in the virulence of several pathogenic bacteria. This work aimed to investigate the anti-QS potential of ethanolic extracts of eight aromatic plants of Cyprus, namely, Origanum vulgare subsp. hirtum, Rosmarinus officinalis, Salvia officinalis, Lavendula spp., Calendula officinalis, Melissa officinalis, Sideritis cypria, and Aloysia citriodora. We initially assessed the effects of the extracts on autoinducer 2 (AI-2) signaling activity, using Vibrio harveyi BB170 as a reported strain. We subsequently assessed the effect of the ethanolic extracts on QS-related processes, including biofilm formation and the swarming and swimming motilities of Escherichia coli MG1655. Of the tested ethanolic extracts, those of Origanum vulgare subsp. hirtum, Rosmarinus officinalis, and Salvia officinalis were the most potent AI-2 signaling inhibitors, while the extracts from the other plants exhibited low to moderate inhibitory activity. These three ethanolic extracts also inhibited the biofilm formation (>60%) of E. coli MG1655, as well as its swimming and swarming motilities, in a concentration-dependent manner. These extracts may be considered true anti-QS inhibitors because they disrupt QS-related activities of E. coli MG1655 without affecting bacterial growth. The results suggest that plants from the unexplored flora of Cyprus could serve as a source for identifying novel anti-QS inhibitors to treat infectious diseases caused by pathogens that are resistant to antibiotics.
KW - autoinducer
KW - biofilms
KW - organic plant extracts
KW - quorum sensing
KW - swarming motility
KW - swimming motility
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85139761769&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/plants11192632
DO - 10.3390/plants11192632
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85139761769
SN - 2223-7747
VL - 11
JO - Plants
JF - Plants
IS - 19
M1 - 2632
ER -
