title: Antibacterial activity and mechanism of berberine against Streptococcus agalactiae.
abstract: The antibacterial activity and mechanism of berberine against Streptococcus agalactiae were investigated in this study by analyzing the growth, morphology and protein of the S. agalactiae cells treated with berberine. The antibacterial susceptibility test result indicated minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) of berberine against Streptococcus agalactiae was 78 μg/mL and the time-kill curves showed the correlation of concentration-time. After the bacteria was exposed to 78 μg/mL berberine, the fragmentary cell membrane and cells unequal division were observed by the transmission electron microscopy (TEM), indicating the bacterial cells were severely damaged. Sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) study demonstrated that berberine could damage bacterial cells through destroying cellular proteins. Meanwhile, Fluorescence microscope revealed that berberine could affect the synthesis of DNA. In conclusion, these results strongly suggested that berberine may damage the structure of bacterial cell membrane and inhibit synthesis of protein and DNA, which cause Streptococcus agalactiae bacteria to die eventually.
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University Ya'an, China.
authors.forename: Lianci
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University Ya'an, China.
authors.forename: Shuai
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University Ya'an, China.
authors.forename: Zhongqiong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University Ya'an, China ; Institute of Prevention Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Renyong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University Ya'an, China.
authors.forename: Xu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University Ya'an, China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University Ya'an, China.
authors.forename: Zhengwen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University Ya'an, China.
authors.forename: Yuanfeng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University Ya'an, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoxia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University Ya'an, China.
authors.forename: Lixia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University Ya'an, China.
authors.forename: Changliang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University Ya'an, China.
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University Ya'an, China.
authors.forename: Lizi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University Ya'an, China.
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University Ya'an, China.
authors.forename: Cheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University Ya'an, China.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jing
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D001599:Berberine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004261:DNA Replication / Q000187:drug effects; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D050296:Microbial Viability / Q000187:drug effects; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis / Q000187:drug effects; D040901:Proteomics / Q000379:methods; D013292:Streptococcus agalactiae / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D001599:Berberine
keywords: Berberine; SDS-PAGE; Streptococcus agalactiae; TEM; antibacterial activity