Large molecules as anti-adhesive compounds against pathogens

Anti-adhesive compounds are potential prophylactic tools in alternative treatment regimes against bacterial infection, as bacterial adhesion is commonly mediated by carbohydrate-protein interactions between surface adhesions of microorganisms and the host cell. The use of exogenous polyvalent, high-molecular carbohydrates and tannin-like plant-derived compounds should antagonize the adhesive interaction. A range of carbohydrates and carbohydrate- and proanthocyanidin-enriched plant extracts were screened for potential anti-adhesive effects against Helicobacter pylori, Campylobacter jejuni, Porphyromonas gingivalis and Candida albicans in different in-situ assays on primary tissue. The adhesion of H. pylori on human stomach tissue was effectively blocked by glucuronic acid-enriched polysaccharides from immature okra fruits (Abelmoschus esculentus). These compounds also had strong in-vitro effects against C. jejuni (inhibition up to 80%), but were ineffective in an in-vivo study in infected chicken broilers due to metabolism in the gastrointestinal system. Polysaccharides from Glycyrrhizia glabra, also enriched with glucuronic acid, showed strong anti-adhesive properties against H. pylori and P. gingivalis (inhibition 60-70%). Pelargonium sidoides extract, containing mainly polymeric proanthocyanidins, was effective against H. pylori in a dose-dependent manner. Due to the multifunctional adhesive strategy of C. albicans, no effective compounds were detected against this yeast. Structure-activity relationships are presented and the potential in-vivo use of carbohydrate-based anti-adhesives is discussed.