Abstract

Paeonol, the active ingredient of Paeonia lactiflora root bark, is widely used in traditional Chinese medicine. Few studies have reported the antibacterial activity of paeonol against bacterial pathogens. In this study, the antibacterial and anti-biofilm performance of paeonol against Klebsiella pneumoniae and Enterobacter cloacae was investigated as well as its mechanisms of action. Paeonol effectively inhibited the growth of K. pneumoniae and E. cloacae with a minimum inhibitory concentration of 64 μg ml⁻¹ and it was shown to disrupt the integrity of bacterial cell membranes, and alter cell morphology. Moreover, paeonol exhibited a potent inhibitory effect against adhesion and biofilm formation by K. pneumoniae and E. cloacae. In particular, paeonol efficiently compromised cells within biofilms, and dispersed mature biofilms. Therefore, the present study suggests that paeonol is a promising alternative antibacterial and anti-biofilm agent for combating infections caused by planktonic and biofilm cells of K. pneumoniae and E. cloacae.

摘要

丹皮酚是芍药根皮的有效成分，在中药中应用广泛。很少有研究报道丹皮酚对细菌病原体的抗菌活性。在本研究中，研究了丹皮酚对肺炎克雷伯菌和阴沟肠杆菌的抗菌和抗生物膜性能及其作用机制。丹皮酚有效抑制肺炎克雷伯菌和阴沟肠杆菌的生长，最低抑制浓度为 64 μg ml ^-1它被证明会破坏细菌细胞膜的完整性，并改变细胞形态。此外，丹皮酚对肺炎克雷伯菌和阴沟肠杆菌的粘附和生物膜形成具有强效抑制作用。特别是，丹皮酚有效地破坏了生物膜内的细胞，并分散了成熟的生物膜。因此，本研究表明，丹皮酚是一种有前景的替代抗菌剂和抗生物膜剂，可用于对抗肺炎克雷伯菌和阴沟肠杆菌的浮游生物和生物膜细胞引起的感染。