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Updated: Sep 18, 2025
A High-throughput Shigella-specific Bactericidal Assay
Published on: February 27, 2019
Inhibiting multidrug resistant Shigella flexneri using comparative genomics guided In vitro and In silico screening
Sarmishta Mukhopadhyay1, Fernando Berton Zanchi2, Gaurab Aditya Dhar1
1Post Graduate and Research Department of Biotechnology, St. Xavier's College (Autonomous) Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
Ethnopharmacological Relevance:
The Gram-negative bacterium Shigella is the most widely documented etiologic factor for diarrheal mortality in infants, contributing to 13.2 % of diarrheal episodes across the globe. The present surge in antibiotic resistance, increasing numbers of non-typeable strains, and the disparate regional distribution of multiple Shigella variants has rendered it obvious that novel therapeutic alternatives are desperately sought after to address the growing threat of shigellosis.
Aim Of The Study:
In the present investigation, we have assessed the antibacterial properties of selected medicinal plants, against a naturally isolated, multidrug-resistant strain of Shigella flexneri, using different in-vitro susceptibility assays.
Materials And Methods:
We used virtual screening, molecular docking, and molecular dynamic simulation to quickly and accurately screen natural compounds derived from these plants for antibacterial agents. To further comprehend the antimicrobial mechanism of the herbal extracts and their active constituents against Shigella flexneri, a comparative transcriptome analysis and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was undertaken to contrast and evaluate the differential patterns of gene expression between the treated and untreated populations.
Results:
The findings deemed the two herbal extracts of Psidium guajava and Scoparia dulcis as a source of viable therapeutic candidates against the multi-drug-resistant strain.
Conclusions:
The prospective active constituents, viz. 5-Hydroxy-1-isopropyl-6,6-dimethyl-5-phenyl-piperidin-2-one and limonene, and their corresponding therapeutic targets reported in this research, thus bring up the possibility of switching existing drugs with more potent phytopharmaceuticals for effectively controlling Shigella superbugs, awaiting further investigations.
Insights
Two medicinal plant extracts, Psidium guajava and Scoparia dulcis, show promise against multidrug-resistant Shigella flexneri. This research explores novel phytopharmaceuticals to combat shigellosis, a major infant diarrheal disease.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Pharmacology
- Computational Biology
Background:
- Shigella infection causes significant infant diarrheal mortality globally.
- Rising antibiotic resistance and emerging strains necessitate new treatments for shigellosis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the in-vitro antibacterial activity of medicinal plants against multidrug-resistant Shigella flexneri.
- To identify potential phytopharmaceuticals for treating shigellosis.
Main Methods:
- Virtual screening, molecular docking, and molecular dynamic simulations were employed to identify active natural compounds.
- Comparative transcriptome analysis and qRT-PCR were used to understand the antimicrobial mechanisms.
Main Results:
- Extracts from Psidium guajava and Scoparia dulcis demonstrated viable therapeutic potential against multidrug-resistant Shigella.
- Specific compounds like 5-Hydroxy-1-isopropyl-6,6-dimethyl-5-phenyl-piperidin-2-one and limonene were identified as prospective agents.
Conclusions:
- Psidium guajava and Scoparia dulcis offer promising phytopharmaceutical candidates for controlling Shigella infections.
- Further research may lead to the development of novel treatments to combat Shigella superbugs.
