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Anti-virulent Disruption of Pathogenic Biofilms using Engineered Quorum-quenching Lactonases
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Multidrug-Resistant Biofilm, Quorum Sensing, Quorum Quenching, and Antibacterial Activities of Indole Derivatives as

Ayodele T Odularu1,2, Anthony J Afolayan3, Alexander P Sadimenko1

  • 1Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Agriculture, University of Fort Hare, Private Bag X1314, Alice 5700, South Africa.

Biomed Research International
|September 5, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Plant-derived indole compounds can inhibit microbial drug resistance and biofilm formation by blocking quorum sensing. Combining these natural agents with antibiotics may enhance treatment effectiveness against resistant infections.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Pharmacology
  • Natural Product Chemistry

Background:

  • Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and biofilm formation pose significant challenges in treating recurrent infections.
  • Random antibiotic use and lack of effective strategies exacerbate AMR and promote microbial community development.
  • Quorum sensing (QS) facilitates the spread of resistance and enables stable microbial biofilm formation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore indole derivatives from plant sources as potential quorum-quenching (QQ) agents.
  • To evaluate the efficacy of these compounds in eradicating biofilms and combating AMR.
  • To investigate the potential of combining indole derivatives with conventional antibiotics for enhanced therapeutic outcomes.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review on quorum sensing, quorum quenching, and natural indole derivatives.
  • Analysis of studies investigating the antibiofilm and antimicrobial properties of phytochemicals.
  • Exploration of combination strategies involving indole derivatives and antibiotics.

Main Results:

  • Indole derivatives exhibit promising quorum-quenching activity, acting as effective antibiofilm agents.
  • Plant-derived phytochemicals demonstrate potential for controlling and preventing microbial biofilm formation.
  • QQ is identified as a viable strategy to counteract QS-mediated resistance spread.

Conclusions:

  • Indole derivatives from plants represent a promising, non-toxic approach to combatting microbial resistance and biofilms.
  • Quorum quenching offers a novel strategy to overcome challenges posed by multidrug resistance (MDR).
  • Combination therapy using indole derivatives and antibiotics could significantly improve treatment efficacy for resistant microbial infections.

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