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Updated: Jan 21, 2026

In vitro Investigation of the MexAB Efflux Pump From Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Published on: February 17, 2014
Cinnamaldehyde Induces Expression of Efflux Pumps and Multidrug Resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Alexandre Tetard1, Andy Zedet2, Corine Girard2
1Laboratoire de Bactériologie, UMR CNRS 6249 Chrono-Environnement, Faculté de Médecine-Pharmacie, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Besançon, France.
Abstract:
Essential oils or their components are increasingly used to fight bacterial infections. Cinnamaldehyde (CNA), the main constituent of cinnamon bark oil, has demonstrated interesting properties in vitro against various pathogens, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa In the present study, we investigated the mechanisms and possible therapeutic consequences of P. aeruginosa adaptation to CNA. Exposure of P. aeruginosa PA14 to subinhibitory concentrations of CNA caused a strong albeit transient increase in the expression of operons that encode the efflux systems MexAB-OprM, MexCD-OprJ, MexEF-OprN, and MexXY/OprM. This multipump activation enhanced from 2- to 8-fold the resistance (MIC) of PA14 to various antipseudomonal antibiotics, including meropenem, ceftazidime, tobramycin, and ciprofloxacin. CNA-induced production of pump MexAB-OprM was found to play a major role in the adaption of P. aeruginosa to the electrophilic biocide, through the NalC regulatory pathway. CNA was progressively transformed by bacteria into the less toxic metabolite cinnamic alcohol (CN-OH), via yet undetermined detoxifying mechanisms. In conclusion, the use of cinnamon bark oil or cinnamaldehyde as adjunctive therapy to treat P. aeruginosa infections may potentially have antagonistic effects if combined with antibiotics because of Mex pump activation.
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