Resveratrol is cidal to both classes of Haemophilus ducreyi

Resveratrol, a polyphenolic phytoalexin, is produced by plants in response to infection and has antibacterial activity. Haemophilus ducreyi is a Gram-negative bacterium that is the causative agent of the sexually transmitted disease chancroid. This study employed minimum cidal concentration (MCC) assays to evaluate the potential of resveratrol as a microbicide against H. ducreyi. Five class I and four class II strains of H. ducreyi tested had MCCs ≤500 μg/mL. Resveratrol was also tested against Lactobacillus spp., part of the natural vaginal flora. Representative strains of Lactobacillus were co-cultured with H. ducreyi and 500 μg/mL resveratrol; in all cases, Lactobacillus was recovered in greater numbers than H. ducreyi. These results show that resveratrol is not only bacteriostatic but is bactericidal to H. ducreyi, confirming the compound's potential for use as a topical microbicide to prevent chancroid.