Anti-bacterial and Anti-biofilm Effects of Equol on .

has clinical significance due to its etiological role in yersiniosis and gastroenteritis. This study was designed to assess anti-bacterial and anti-biofilm effects of equol on via phenotypic and genetic analyses. To determine its anti-bacterial activity, minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of equol against clinically isolated strains were analyzed. Subsequently, it was confirmed that the sub-MIC value of equol could inhibit biofilm formation and reduce preformed biofilm. Furthermore, it was found that equol could reduce the expression of biofilm-related () gene in . This study also demonstrated that equol not only reduced levels of bacterial motility, but also decreased the expression of a motility-related () gene in . XTT [2,3-bis (2-metoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium-5-carboxanilide] reduction analysis revealed that equol attenuated cellular metabolic activities in biofilm. Additionally, changes in biomass and cell density in equol-treated biofilms were visualized using a confocal laser scanning microscope. In conclusion, this study suggests that equol is a potential anti-bacterial and anti-biofilm agent to treat .