Developing Gingerol-Based Analogs against Infections.

(), a Gram-negative opportunistic pathogen, produces virulent factors and forms biofilms through a quorum sensing (QS) mechanism. Modulating QS networks is considered an effective strategy for treating infections. Particularly, the system, one of the QS networks, can be a potential target in treating patients with chronic infections. We previously discovered that gingerol acts as a RhlR antagonist of . Based on the chemical structure of gingerol, we have designed and synthesized gingerol derivatives by introducing various functional groups in the middle and tail regions. A comprehensive structure-activity relationship study showed that compound substituted with phenyl group in the tail region was the most potent in various biological assessments, such as RhlR binding affinity, gene expression, and virulence factor production of . Furthermore, compound decreased the biofilm formation and pathogenicity of . Interestingly, compound also influenced system in addition to the system. Taken together, compound can be utilized as a potent compound for controlling infection.