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Bisdemethoxycurcumin Reduces Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Expression of Virulence-Related Exoproteins

Shu Wang1, Ok-Hwa Kang1, Dong-Yeul Kwon1

  • 1Department of Oriental Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy and Wonkwang Oriental Medicines Research Institute, Wonkwang University, Iksan 54538, Jeonbuk, Korea.

Toxins
|November 25, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Bisdemethoxycurcumin (BDMC) effectively reduces virulence factors and biofilm formation in Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). This natural compound shows promise as an alternative antibacterial agent against antibiotic-resistant strains.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Pharmacology
  • Natural Products Chemistry

Background:

  • Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a significant cause of hospital-acquired infections, exhibiting resistance to conventional antibiotics.
  • Anti-virulence and anti-biofilm therapies are emerging as promising strategies to combat MRSA infections.
  • Bisdemethoxycurcumin (BDMC), a derivative of curcumin, is being explored for its potential therapeutic properties.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effects of BDMC on virulence-related exoproteins and biofilm formation in MRSA.
  • To evaluate BDMC's efficacy in reducing the expression of key MRSA virulence factors, including staphylococcal enterotoxins and alpha-toxin.
  • To assess BDMC's anti-biofilm activity against both reference and clinical MRSA strains.

Main Methods:

  • Western blotting and quantitative RT-PCR were used to measure the expression levels of virulence factors and their corresponding genes.
  • Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) release assay was performed to assess the impact of BDMC on inflammatory responses.
  • Biofilm inhibition assays were conducted to evaluate BDMC's effectiveness in preventing biofilm formation.

Main Results:

  • Sub-inhibitory concentrations of BDMC significantly suppressed the mRNA expression of staphylococcal enterotoxin A (sea), enterotoxin B (seb), and alpha-toxin (hla) in MRSA.
  • BDMC treatment led to a significant decrease in the expression of virulence-related exoproteins.
  • Down-regulation of the accessory gene regulator (agr) was observed, contributing to reduced virulence factor expression.
  • BDMC demonstrated significant inhibition of biofilm formation in MRSA at sub-inhibitory concentrations.

Conclusions:

  • BDMC effectively inhibits MRSA virulence factor production and biofilm formation.
  • The compound acts, in part, by down-regulating the accessory gene regulator (agr) pathway.
  • BDMC represents a potential natural antibacterial agent for mitigating the challenges posed by antibiotic resistance in MRSA infections.
Keywords:
MRSAbiofilmbisdemethoxycurcuminenterotoxin Aenterotoxin Bα-toxin

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