Inhibiting Staphylococcus aureus Virulence Factors: Advances in Traditional Chinese Medicines and Active Compounds

Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most prevalent antibiotic-resistant bacteria, characterized by high morbidity and mortality. The pathogenicity of S. aureus relies on the production of multiple virulence factors. In recent years, antivirulence strategies have shown promise in developing antiinfective drugs by targeting the inhibition of bacterial virulence factors rather than directly killing pathogens. In Asia, some traditional Chinese medicines have a long history of antiinfective application and have demonstrated therapeutic efficacy. However, their antiinfective mechanism has not been fully elucidated. Recent studies have revealed that numerous extracts of TCM, as well as pure compounds from TCM, significantly inhibited the expression of virulence factors of S. aureus, which might be one of their antiinfective mechanisms with potential for the development of novel antiinfective agents. In this review, we summarized the major virulence factors of S. aureus and recent advances in TCM-derived antivirulence agents, including TCM formulae, single herbs, and isolated bioactive compounds, which showed antivirulence capability against S. aureus. Investigating the antivirulence mechanism of TCM not only enhances our understanding of TCM's antiinfective mechanisms but also facilitates the isolation of active compounds with therapeutic potential against S. aureus infection.