Abstract
Methicillin-resistant staphylococci (MRS) have been considered a veterinary and public health threat that needs to be addressed, as they are known to cause serious infections, with limited therapeutic options. Thus, in this study, we aimed to examine the potential antibacterial activity of the leaf extract of Solanum torvum against MRS isolated from clinically healthy dogs. In total, seven mecA-positive Staphylococcus isolates tested in this study were identified using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and all of them were classified as multidrug-resistant using disk diffusion tests. According to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis, the main phytochemical components found in the leaf extract were hexadecanoic acid and its ethyl ester and 9,12,15-octadecatrienoic acid, ethyl ester, (Z,Z,Z). The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) breakpoints for the leaf extract against all tested isolates ranged from 2 to 16 mg/mL, while the MIC breakpoints for oxacillin were from 2 to 512 mg/L. Although varying effects were found, the positive effects of the leaf extract were most evident in combination with oxacillin. These results suggested that S. torvum leaf extract may complement classical antibiotics and may potentially drive the development of an effective therapeutic option for MRS.
Highlights
Most staphylococci are commensal bacteria, some of them can cause serious infections of the skin and other tissues in both animals and humans
Coagulase-positive staphylococci, Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus pseudintermedius are commonly involved in infection in humans and companion animals, respectively, while coagulasenegative staphylococci (CoNS) are frequently related to nosocomial infection [1,2]
Since methicillin-resistant staphylococci (MRS) can occur in companion animals and the transmission of MRS between animals and humans may potentially occur [3,4], MRS is considered to be a significant threat to public health
Summary
Most staphylococci are commensal bacteria, some of them can cause serious infections of the skin and other tissues in both animals and humans. According to their ability to produce coagulase, staphylococci can be classified into the following two groups: coagulase-positive and coagulase-negative staphylococci. Coagulase-positive staphylococci, Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus pseudintermedius are commonly involved in infection in humans and companion animals, respectively, while coagulasenegative staphylococci (CoNS) are frequently related to nosocomial infection [1,2]. Methicillin resistance in staphylococci has mainly been associated with the mecA gene, which encodes a modified penicillin-binding protein 2a (PBP2a), causing a low binding affinity to β-lactam antibiotics [5].
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