title: Grapefruit juice and its furocoumarins inhibits autoinducer signaling and biofilm formation in bacteria.
abstract: Cell-to-cell communications in bacteria mediated by small diffusible molecules termed as autoinducers (AI) are known to influence gene expression and pathogenicity. Oligopeptides and N-acylhomoserine lactones (AHL) are major AI molecules involved in intra-specific communication in gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria respectively, whereas boronated-diester molecules (AI-2) are involved in inter-specific communication among both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Naturally occurring furocoumarins from grapefruit showed >95% inhibition of AI-1 and AI-2 activities based on the Vibrio harveyi based autoinducer bioassay. Grapefruit juice and furocoumarins also inhibited biofilm formation by Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella typhimurium and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. These results suggest that grape fruit juice and furocoumarins could serve as a source to develop bacterial intervention strategies targeting microbial cell signaling processes.
authors.affiliation: Vegetable and Fruit Improvement Center, Department of Horticultural Sciences, Texas A&M University College Station TX 77843-2119, USA.
authors.forename: Basavaraj
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Girennavar
authors.forename: Martha L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Cepeda
authors.forename: Kamlesh A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Soni
authors.forename: Amit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vikram
authors.forename: Palmy
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jesudhasan
authors.forename: G K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Jayaprakasha
authors.forename: Suresh D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Pillai
authors.forename: Bhimanagouda S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Patil
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001628:Beverages; D018441:Biofilms / Q000254:growth & development*; D018533:Biomass; D032083:Citrus paradisi; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D019453:Escherichia coli O157 / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005516:Food Microbiology; D011564:Furocoumarins / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D053038:Quorum Sensing; D012486:Salmonella typhimurium / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D011564:Furocoumarins