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Quebrachitol from Rhizophora mucronata inhibits biofilm formation and virulence production in Staphylococcus epidermidis by impairment of initial attachment and intercellular adhesion

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Abstract

Staphylococcus epidermidis is well recognized nosocomial pathogen in clinical settings for their implants associated infections. Biofilm and virulence production executes a S. epidermidis pathogenesis against host. Hence, interfering of biofilm formation has become an auspicious to control the pathogenesis of S. epidermidis. The present study evaluates antibiofilm potential of Rhizophora mucronata against S. epidermidis biofilms. Rhizophora mucronata leaves extract significantly inhibited the biofilm formation and quebrachitol was identified as an active compound responsible for the biofilm inhibition. Quebrachitol significantly inhibited biofilm formation at concentration dependent manner without exhibit non-bactericidal property. And, quebrachitol reduced the biofilm building components such as exopolysaccharides, lipase and proteins production. Confocal laser scanning microscopic studies obtained quebrachitol surface independent biofilm efficacy against S. epidermidis. Notably, quebrachitol significantly reduced S. epidermidis adherence on biotic (coated with type I collagen and fibrinogen) and abiotic (hydrophobic and hydrophilic) surfaces. Addition of quebrachitol inhibits autolysis mediated initial attachment and accumulation associated aggregation process. Moreover, quebrachitol significantly reduced the hydrolases virulence production which supports S. epidermidis invasion into the host. Furthermore, gene expression analysis revealed the ability of quebrachitol to downregulate the virulence genes expression which are mainly involved in biofilm formation and virulence production. The results obtained from the present study suggest that quebrachitol as an ideal candidate for the therapeutic action against S. epidermidis pathogenesis.

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Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully thank Dr. G. Ashwinkumar Subramenium and Dr. S. Muhil vannan Seralathan, PAR Life Sciences and Research Pvt Ltd. for support in discussing and fulfilling the work. This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

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  1. Centre of Advanced Study in Marine Biology, Annamalai University, Parangipettai, Tamil Nadu, 608 502, India

    Vijayakumar Karuppiah & Ramanathan Thirunanasambandham

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  1. Vijayakumar Karuppiah
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Correspondence to Vijayakumar Karuppiah.

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Karuppiah, V., Thirunanasambandham, R. Quebrachitol from Rhizophora mucronata inhibits biofilm formation and virulence production in Staphylococcus epidermidis by impairment of initial attachment and intercellular adhesion. Arch Microbiol 202, 1327–1340 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-020-01844-9

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