Attenuation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa virulence by medicinal plants in a Caenorhabditis elegans model system.
Expression of a myriad of virulence factors and innate antibiotic resistance enables the opportunistic human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa to create intractable infections. Using a nematode model, we screened for novel inhibitors of this pathogen. Aqueous extracts of three plants, Conocarpus erectus, Callistemon viminalis and Bucida buceras, were examined for their effects on P. aeruginosa killing of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. The results were evaluated in toxin-based and infection-based assays using P. aeruginosa strains PAO1 and PA14. The tested plant extracts prevented mortality via gut infection in approximately 60 % of the worms and caused a 50-90 % reduction in death from toxin production. All extracts inhibited nematode death by P. aeruginosa without host toxicity, indicating their potential for further development as anti-infectives.
Adonizio
Allison
A
Department of Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA.
Leal
Sixto M
SM
Department of Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA.
Ausubel
Frederick M
FM
Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, and Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
Mathee
Kalai
K
Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA.|Department of Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA.
D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000254:growth & development / Q000382:microbiology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D027822:Myrtaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000145:classification; D011552:Pseudomonas Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D014774:Virulence
D010936:Plant Extracts