Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, College of Medical Sciences, Soonchunhyang University, Asan, Chungnam, 31538, Republic of Korea.
Department of Medical Sciences, Graduate School, Soonchunhyang University, Asan, Chungnam, 31538, Republic of Korea.
Can J Microbiol. 2024 Oct 1;70(10):426-432. doi: 10.1139/cjm-2024-0014. Epub 2024 Jul 24.
The rise of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) due to antibiotic overuse poses a significant threat to long-term care patients and those with impaired immune systems. Therefore, it is imperative to seek alternatives to overcome multidrug resistance. This study aimed to evaluate totarol, a natural compound derived from , for its antibacterial activity against vancomycin-resistant (VREF). Totarol exhibited potent antibacterial activity at a very low concentration of 0.25 µg/mL and demonstrated antibiofilm effects through biofilm inhibitory concentration and biofilm eradication concentration assays. Confocal laser scanning microscopy confirmed that totarol inhibited not only biofilm mass but also bacterial cell viability. The combinatorial use of sublethal concentrations of totarol and vancomycin showed antibacterial activity, as observed in the time-kill assay. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction assays revealed a concentration-dependent downregulation of key virulence genes (, and ) in VREF when exposed to totarol. In summary, totarol emerges as a promising adjuvant with vancomycin for inhibiting VREF, addressing vancomycin resistance and biofilm formation-critical challenges associated with VRE infection. Since this was an in vitro study, the role of totarol in the clinical implications of VREF treatment remains to be demonstrated.
由于抗生素的过度使用，导致万古霉素耐药肠球菌（VRE）的出现，对长期护理患者和免疫系统受损的患者构成了重大威胁。因此，寻找克服多重耐药性的替代方法至关重要。本研究旨在评估来自的天然化合物托罗醇对耐万古霉素的肠球菌（VREF）的抗菌活性。托罗醇在非常低的浓度 0.25μg/mL 下表现出强大的抗菌活性，并通过生物膜抑制浓度和生物膜清除浓度测定显示出抗生物膜作用。共焦激光扫描显微镜证实，托罗醇不仅抑制生物膜质量，还抑制细菌细胞活力。亚致死浓度的托罗醇和万古霉素联合使用显示出抗菌活性，这在时间杀伤试验中得到了观察。定量聚合酶链反应试验显示，当 VREF 暴露于托罗醇时，关键毒力基因（、和）呈浓度依赖性下调。总之，托罗醇作为一种有前途的万古霉素佐剂，可抑制 VREF，解决与 VRE 感染相关的万古霉素耐药和生物膜形成的关键挑战。由于这是一项体外研究，托罗醇在 VREF 治疗的临床意义中的作用仍有待证明。
