Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 20, 2026
Improved Enzyme Protection Assay to Study Staphylococcus aureus Internalization and Intracellular Efficacy of Antimicrobial Compounds
Published on: September 8, 2021
Antimicrobial characteristics of Berberine against prosthetic joint infection-related Staphylococcus aureus of
Jiaqi Tan1, Jin Wang1, Chuang Yang1
1Department of Orthopaedics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's HospitalShanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200233, China.
Background:
Staphylococcal aureus (S. aureus) has become the leading causative pathogen of Prosthetic Joint Infection (PJI), which is the most devastating complication after arthroplasty surgeries. Due to the biofilm formation ability and emergence of multiple-drugs resistance strains of S. aureus, it has become an urgency to find new anti-staphylococcal agents to establish effective prophylaxis and treatment strategy for PJI. Extracted from a traditional Chinese herb, berberine is proved active in inhibiting S. aureus, while whether it exerts the same effect on PJI-related S. aureus remains unknown. This study aims to investigate the antimicrobial activity of berbrine against clinical derived PJI-related S. aureus and whether its inhibiting efficacy is associated with subtypes of S. aureus.
Methods:
Eighteen PJI-associated S. aureus were collected and their Multi-locus Sequence Types (MLST) and susceptibility to berberine both in planktonic and biofilm form were investigated. Additionally, one S. aureus strain (ST1792) was selected from the group and its transcriptomic profiling in berberine incubation was performed. The statistical analyses were conducted using Student's t-test with SPSS 24.0(SPSS, IBM, USA). The data were expressed as the means ± standard deviation. Values of p < 0.05 were considered statistically significant.
Results:
It was found out that the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration values of PJI-related S. aureus varied in a broad range (from 64 to 512 μg/ml) among different MLST subtypes and the bacteria were able to regain growth after 24 h in berberine of MIC value or higher concentrations. In addition, sub-inhibitory concentrations of berberine surprisingly enhanced biofilm formation in some S. aureus strains.
Conclusion:
Traditional medicine is utilised by a large number of individuals, which provides abundant resources for modern medical science. In our study, berberine was found bactericidal against PJI related S. aureus, however, its antibacterial property was impacted by the MLST subtypes of the bacteria, both in planktonic and biofilm growth forms.
Insights
Berberine shows bactericidal effects against Staphylococcal aureus strains causing prosthetic joint infections. However, its effectiveness varies with bacterial subtypes, impacting treatment strategies for these challenging infections.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
- Pharmacology and Traditional Medicine
Background:
- Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is the primary cause of prosthetic joint infections (PJI), a severe complication of arthroplasty.
- The ability of S. aureus to form biofilms and develop multi-drug resistance necessitates novel anti-staphylococcal agents for PJI prevention and treatment.
- Berberine, derived from traditional Chinese herbs, exhibits antimicrobial activity, but its efficacy against PJI-related S. aureus is not well-established.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the antimicrobial activity of berberine against clinical isolates of PJI-related S. aureus.
- To determine if berberine's inhibitory efficacy against S. aureus is influenced by specific bacterial subtypes (MLST).
Main Methods:
- Collected and characterized 18 PJI-associated S. aureus strains, including Multi-locus Sequence Typing (MLST).
- Assessed berberine susceptibility in both planktonic and biofilm forms.
- Performed transcriptomic profiling of one S. aureus strain (ST1792) after berberine incubation.
Main Results:
- Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MICs) for PJI-related S. aureus ranged broadly (64–512 μg/ml) and varied by MLST subtype.
- S. aureus strains could regrow after 24 hours at or above their respective MICs of berberine.
- Sub-inhibitory concentrations of berberine paradoxically enhanced biofilm formation in certain S. aureus strains.
Conclusions:
- Berberine demonstrates bactericidal activity against PJI-related S. aureus.
- The antimicrobial effectiveness of berberine is significantly influenced by the MLST subtype of S. aureus.
- Berberine's impact on both planktonic and biofilm growth forms of S. aureus is subtype-dependent, suggesting personalized treatment approaches.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:23Types of Building Separation Joints
Volume-change joints address the effects of expansion and contraction due to temperature and moisture variations. They are strategically placed at discontinuities in a building's mass where cracking is most likely and are spaced about 150 to 200...
02:51Multi-species Conserved Sequences
Although the genome of each species varies greatly from each other, a few sequences are highly conserved. Such conserved...
01:26Locus of Control
01:16Structural Joints: Synovial Joints
01:23Characteristics of Life
01:03Structural Joints: Fibrous Joints
Suture
All the bones of the skull, except for the mandible, are joined to each other by a fibrous joint called a suture. The fibrous connective tissue found at a suture strongly unites the adjacent skull bones and thus helps to protect the brain and form the face. In...