Exploring the Antibiotic Potential of a Serine Protease from Against Biofilms.

BACKGROUND

Multi-antibiotic resistance has become an alarming issue in treating bacterial infections in both community and medical environments. Globally, the scientific community has been exploring multi-antibiotic techniques to find new ways to address this challenge. To address this critical challenge and explore alternative antibiotic treatments, we investigated the potential of , an edible and medicinally important herb plant in Ayurvedic medicine.

METHODS

Our research focused on a 60 kDa serine protease isolated and purified from the leaves of , which showed evidence of possessing hydrolase activity. In this study, we examined the capability of the purified enzyme to eradicate preformed biofilms of in combination with ampicillin. Additionally, we assessed the stability of the enzyme in the presence of metal ions and detergents.

RESULTS

Enzyme kinetics revealed a Vmax of 48.63 µM/min and a Km of 14.08 µM, indicating efficient enzymatic activity. Furthermore, the enzyme exhibited maximum activity at physiological pH, suggesting its potential effectiveness under physiological conditions.

CONCLUSIONS

Our preliminary findings highlight the promising role of this enzyme as a potential agent to combat S. aureus biofilms, especially when used in conjunction with ampicillin, as an alternative antibiotic approach.