The Bacillary Postbiotics, Including 2-Undecanone, Suppress the Virulence of Pathogenic Microorganisms

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Biochemistry
• Pharmaceutical Science

Background:

• Secreted molecules from probiotic bacteria, termed postbiotics, are explored for pharmaceutical applications against pathogens.
• Pathogenic bacteria like Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, and yeast like Candida albicans, pose significant infection risks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the antagonistic potential of Lactobacillus plantarum-derived postbiotics against pathogenic microorganisms.
• To identify specific compounds within postbiotics responsible for antimicrobial effects and their mechanisms of action.

Main Methods:

• Testing postbiotic filtrates against biofilms and planktonic growth of E. coli, S. aureus, and C. albicans.
• Assessing the impact of postbiotics on pathogen virulence factors, including E. coli swarming motility and C. albicans hyphal switch.
• Investigating the specific compound 2-undecanone for its effects on C. albicans biofilms and hyphae using in vitro and in vivo models, alongside molecular docking.

Main Results:

• L. plantarum postbiotics effectively mitigated pathogen biofilms without affecting planktonic growth.
• Postbiotics suppressed virulence traits such as E. coli swarming motility and C. albicans yeast-to-hyphal transition.
• 2-undecanone demonstrated significant inhibition of C. albicans biofilms and hyphae, interacting with Hwp-1 via molecular docking.

Conclusions:

• L. plantarum postbiotics represent a promising strategy for developing novel antibiofilm and anti-hyphal pharmaceuticals.
• The ketone 2-undecanone exhibits targeted antagonism against C. albicans biofilm formation and hyphal development.
• Findings support the use of specific postbiotic compounds for combating microbial infections and virulence.