A dual mechanism with H2S inhibition and membrane damage of morusin from Morus alba Linn. against MDR-MRSA

Abstract

It’s urgent to discover new antibiotics along with the increasing emergence and dissemination of multidrug resistant (MDR) bacterial pathogens. In the present investigation, morusin exhibited rapid bactericidal activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) by targeting the phospholipid of bacterial inner membrane, increasing membrane rigidity and disrupting bacterial homeostasis together with the membrane permeability, which caused fundamental metabolic disorders. Furthermore, morusin can also accumulate ROS, suppress H2S production, and aggravate oxidative damage in bacteria. Importantly, morusin also inhibited the spread of wounds and reduced the bacterial burden in the mouse model of skin infection caused by MRSA. It’s a chance to meet the challenge of existing antibiotic resistance and avoid the development of bacterial resistance, given the multiple targets of morusin.