Antibacterial and Antibiofilm Activities of Hydralazine, an Antihypertensive Drug: In Vitro and In Silico Approaches.

The rise of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria poses a significant challenge to global public health, contributing to increased morbidity and mortality rates. In this context, the repurposing of existing drugs has emerged as a promising strategy. In this study, hydralazine (HDZ), a vasodilator used as an antihypertensive since 1952, demonstrated antibacterial and antibiofilm activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. In this study, the antibacterial activity of the antihypertensive hydralazine (HDZ) was evaluated against Gram-positive and Gram-negative strains through minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), growth curve with MIC and sub-MIC doses, combinatorial effect with gentamicin, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), molecular docking, and antibiofilm activity. The MIC and MBC values ranged from 39.5 to 1.250 μg/mL, respectively. A change in the growth kinetics of the strains was observed when exposed to MIC and 1/2 MIC values, with a delay in the phases of up to 12 h. The combinatorial effect with gentamicin demonstrated an additive and indifferent potential when combined with HDZ. Furthermore, hydralazine showed antibiofilm activity against the tested strains, including MRSA. Electron microscopy analysis revealed significant changes in bacterial morphology when exposed to the MIC dose of HDZ for 4 h. The overall results of the study indicate hydralazine as a potential agent in the fight against bacterial infections.