Inhibitory Effects on Sortase A by sp. Extracts and Their Toxicity Evaluation.

A promising strategy for combating bacterial infections involves the development of agents that disarm the virulence factors of pathogenic bacteria, thereby reducing their pathogenicity without inducing direct lethality. Sortase A, a crucial enzyme responsible for anchoring virulence factors to the cell surface of several pathogenic bacteria, has emerged as a possible target for antivirulence strategies. A series of hippocastanum species (, , , and ) were used to prepare ethanol- and water-based extracts for assessing their effect on sortase A. The extracts were characterized through HPLC analysis, and their polyphenols content was determined using the Folin-Ciocalteu method. The specific toxicity profile was evaluated in using the median lethal concentration (LC) and against the fibroblast MRHF cell line. The half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC) values on sortase A, determined after 30 min of incubation, ranged from 82.70 to 304.31 µg/mL, with the water extract exhibiting the highest inhibitory effect. The assessment of the water extract on human fibroblasts revealed no significant signs of toxicity, even at a concentration of 500 µg/mL. This reduced toxicity was further validated through the assay. These findings highlight the low toxicity and the potential of this extract as a promising source of future development of bacteria antivirulence solutions.