Different Extracts of Zingiber officinale Decrease Enterococcus faecalis Infection in Galleria mellonella

Abstract

Dried, fresh and glycolic extracts of Zingiber officinale were obtained to evaluate the action against G. mellonella survival assay against Enterococcus faecalis infection. Eighty larvae were divided into: 1) E. faecalis suspension (control); 2) E. faecalis + fresh extract of Z. officinale (FEO); 3) E. faecalis + dried extract of Z. officinale (DEO); 4) E. faecalis + glycolic extract of Z. officinale (GEO); 5) Phosphate buffered saline (PBS). For control group, a 5 μL inoculum of standardized suspension (10 7 cells/mL) of E. faecalis (ATCC 29212) was injected into the last left proleg of each larva. For the treatment groups, after E. faecalis inoculation, the extracts were also injected, but into the last right proleg. The larvae were stored at 37 °C and the number of dead larvae was recorded daily for 168 h (7 days) to analyze the survival curve. The larvae were considered dead when they did not show any movement after touching. E. faecalis infection led to the death of 85% of the larvae after 168 h. Notwithstanding, in treatment groups with association of extracts, there was an increase in the survival rates of 50% (GEO), 61% (FEO) and 66% (DEO) of the larvae. In all treatment groups, the larvae exhibited a survival increase with statistically significant difference in relation to control group (p=0.0029). There were no statistically significant differences among treatment groups with different extracts (p=0.3859). It may be concluded that the tested extracts showed antimicrobial activity against E. faecalis infection by increasing the survival of Galleria mellonella larvae.

Immunity of the greater wax moth Galleria mellonella

“…Then prepupae and pupae are formed and, after additional 2 weeks, adult moths appear. This bee moth has been a good model to study insect immune response and virulence factors of many pathogens, including human pathogens such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa , Enterococcus faecalis , Staphylococcus aureus , Candida albicans , Fusarium oxysporum , and Aspergillus fumigatus (Gibreel & Upton, ; Gomez‐Lopez et al ., ; Koch et al ., ; Munoz‐Gomez et al ., ; Maekawa et al ., ; Vaz et al ., ). Their virulence factors can be studied first on the insect model, which is easier, cheaper, and more ethically acceptable, before testing on mammalian organisms (Junquirella, ; Arvanitis et al ., ; Cook & McArthur, ).…”

Immunomodulatory effect of photodynamic therapy in Galleria mellonella infected with Porphyromonas gingivalis

“…In the last decades, several invertebrate models have been used in the study of the microorganism pathogenicity, host-pathogen interaction and as screening for testing new therapies [17]. The main invertebrate models of experimental infection are a Galleria mellonella, Drosophila melanogaster and the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans [18e20].…”

Galleria mellonella: um hospedeiro experimental alternativo para estudos de infecções por bactérias gram-positivas

“…A adição de rifampicina não foi significativa para a atividade de daptomicina e linezolida contra as duas espécies (LUTHER et al, 2014). As atividades antimicrobianas dos extratos seco, fresco e glicólico de gengibre (Zingiber officinale) frente a E. faecalis também foram avaliadas, e os extratos mostraram-se eficazes em aumentar a taxa sobrevivência das larvas em 66%, 61% e 50%, respectivamente (MAEKAWA et al, 2015).…”

“…Na tentativa de encontrar um modelo não mamífero adequado, dentro das característi-cas citadas acima, desenvolveram-se modelos microbianos, de plantas, de insetos e de nematoides (SALAMITOU et al, 2000;KAITO et al, 2002;LAWS et al, 2005 e SEABRA;BHOGAL, 2008). O uso do inseto G. mellonella, como modelo experimental, tornou-se bastante popular nos últimos anos, especialmente para o estudo da patogenicidade e da virulência de micro-organismos, bem como para avaliação de compostos antimicrobianos (FEDHILA et al, 2010;MICHAUX et al, 2013;MUKHERJEE et al, 2013e MAEKAWA et al, 2015. Dessa forma, a presente revisão teve como objetivo compilar os trabalhos descritos na literatura e discutir a adequabilidade das larvas de G. mellonella como modelo experimental para o estudo de infecções causadas por bactérias gram--positivas.…”