Antibacterial and anti-biofilm activities of paeonol against .

Paeonol, the active ingredient of root bark, is widely used in traditional Chinese medicine. Few studies have reported the antibacterial activity of paeonol against bacterial pathogens. In this study, the antibacterial and anti-biofilm performance of paeonol against and was investigated as well as its mechanisms of action. Paeonol effectively inhibited the growth of and with a minimum inhibitory concentration of 64 μg ml and it was shown to disrupt the integrity of bacterial cell membranes, and alter cell morphology. Moreover, paeonol exhibited a potent inhibitory effect against adhesion and biofilm formation by and . In particular, paeonol efficiently compromised cells within biofilms, and dispersed mature biofilms. Therefore, the present study suggests that paeonol is a promising alternative antibacterial and anti-biofilm agent for combating infections caused by planktonic and biofilm cells of and .