Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus is a nosocomial bacterium causing different infectious diseases, ranging from skin and soft-tissue infections to more serious and life-threatening infections such as sepsis, meningitis and endocarditis, which may be exacerbated by antibiotic resistance. Plant products may be seen as an alternative as antibacterial agents, namely, against S. aureus. Thus, the aim of this work was to characterize the chemical composition and evaluate the bioactive properties of the T. zygis essential oil (EO), with a focus on antimicrobial activity against S. aureus. Gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry was used to assess the chemical composition of the T. zygis EO, and the antioxidant activity was evaluated using the DPPH method and β-carotene-bleaching assay. The antimicrobial activity against S. aureus strains, the interaction with different antibiotics and the attenuation of this bacterium’s virulence were evaluated. The T. zygis EO showed antioxidant activity acting through two different mechanisms and antibacterial activity against S. aureus, with antibiofilm and antihaemolytic properties. This EO also demonstrated synergistic or additive interactions in combination with ampicillin, ciprofloxacin or vancomycin against S. aureus strains and, in some cases, changed the antibiotic-resistance phenotype from resistant to susceptible. Therefore, the present work demonstrates the good bioactive properties of the EO of T. zygis, mainly the antimicrobial activity against S. aureus, revealing its potential to be used as an antibacterial agent.
Highlights
Antibiotics are used as the primary weapon against infections; while, at first, antibiotics were highly effective, their inappropriate use and high selective pressure have led to the emergence and spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria [1]
The analysis of the chemical composition of the T. zygis essential oil (EO) through gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-mass spectrometer (MS)) showed eighteen compounds, accounting for 94% of the total composition of the EO
A very strong antioxidant activity was exhibited by the T. zygis EO according to the diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH) method and based on Scherer and Godoy classification [28], with IC50 values of 2.00 ± 0.15% (Table 2)
Summary
Antibiotics are used as the primary weapon against infections; while, at first, antibiotics were highly effective, their inappropriate use and high selective pressure have led to the emergence and spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria [1]. Antibiotic resistance has increased dramatically in recent decades and is considered one of the greatest global health threats [2,3]. S. aureus is a commensal bacterium located on the skin and mucous membranes, and a virulent bacterial pathogen associated with high morbidity and mortality [6,7,8,9]. This opportunistic pathogen can cause numerous acute and chronic infections [5,10], such as moderately severe skin infections, fatal pneumonia, sepsis, meningitis, endocarditis, or toxic-shock syndrome [7,11,12]. The World Health Organization states that people with MRSA infections are 64% more likely to die than people with drugsensitive infections, and so it is on the list of microorganisms for which further investigation is critical [13]
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