Grapefruit juice and its furocoumarins inhibits autoinducer signaling and biofilm formation in bacteria.
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.
Girennavar
Basavaraj
B
Vegetable and Fruit Improvement Center, Department of Horticultural Sciences, Texas A&M University College Station TX 77843-2119, USA.
Cepeda
Martha L
ML
Soni
Kamlesh A
KA
Vikram
Amit
A
Jesudhasan
Palmy
P
Jayaprakasha
G K
GK
Pillai
Suresh D
SD
Patil
Bhimanagouda S
BS
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
D011564:Furocoumarins