Anti-Virulence Properties of Plant Species: Correlation between In Vitro Activity and Efficacy in a Murine Model of Bacterial Infection

Several plant extracts exhibit anti-virulence properties due to the interruption of bacterial quorum sensing (QS). However, studies on their effects at the preclinical level are scarce. Here, we used a murine model of abscess/necrosis induced by <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> to evaluate...

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Main Authors: José Luis Díaz-Núñez, Macrina Pérez-López, Norma Espinosa, Nayelli Campos-Hernández, Rodolfo García-Contreras, Miguel Díaz-Guerrero, Humberto Cortes-López, Monserrat Vázquez-Sánchez, Héctor Quezada, Mariano Martínez-Vázquez, Ramón Marcos Soto-Hernández, Mireya Burgos-Hernández, Bertha González-Pedrajo, Israel Castillo-Juárez
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-11-01
Series:Microorganisms
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/9/12/2424
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Summary:Several plant extracts exhibit anti-virulence properties due to the interruption of bacterial quorum sensing (QS). However, studies on their effects at the preclinical level are scarce. Here, we used a murine model of abscess/necrosis induced by <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> to evaluate the anti-pathogenic efficacy of 24 plant extracts at a sub-inhibitory concentration. We analyzed their ability to inhibit QS-regulated virulence factors such as swarming, pyocyanin production, and secretion of the ExoU toxin via the type III secretion system (T3SS). Five of the seven extracts with the best anti-pathogenic activity reduced ExoU secretion, and the extracts of <i>Diphysa americana</i> and <i>Hibiscus sabdariffa</i> were identified as the most active. Therefore, the abscess/necrosis model allows identification of plant extracts that have the capacity to reduce pathogenicity of <i>P. aeruginosa</i>. Furthermore, we evaluated the activity of the plant extracts on <i>Chromobacterium violaceum</i>. T3SS (Δ<i>escU</i>) and QS (Δ<i>cviI</i>) mutant strains were assessed in both the abscess/necrosis and sepsis models. Only the Δ<i>escU</i> strain had lower pathogenicity in the animal models, although no activity of plant extracts was observed. These results demonstrate differences between the anti-virulence activity recorded in vitro and pathogenicity in vivo and between the roles of QS and T3S systems as virulence determinants.
ISSN:2076-2607