In Vitro and In Vivo Biological Activity of Berberine Chloride against Uropathogenic E. coli Strains Using Galleria mellonella as a Host Model

Abstract

Berberine is an alkaloid of the protoberberine type used in traditional oriental medicine. Its biological activities include documented antibacterial properties against a wide variety of microorganisms; nonetheless, its use against Escherichia coli strains isolated from urinary infections has not yet been widely investigated in vivo. The emergence of antimicrobial resistance requires new therapeutic approaches to ensure the continued effectiveness of antibiotics for the treatment and prevention of urinary infections. Moreover, uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) has developed several virulence factors and resistance to routine antibiotic therapy. To this end, several in vitro and in vivo tests were conducted to assess the activity of berberine on uropathogenic E. coli strains. Galleria mellonella as an infection model was employed to confirm the in vivo translatability of in vitro data on berberine activity and its influence on adhesion and invasion proprieties of E. coli on human bladder cells. In vitro pre-treatment with berberine was able to decrease the adhesive and invasive UPEC ability. In vivo treatment increased the larvae survival infected with UPEC strains and reduced the number of circulating pathogens in larvae hemolymph. These preliminary findings demonstrated the efficacy and reliability of G. mellonella as in vivo model for pre-clinical studies of natural substances.

Research Progress on Antibacterial Activities and Mechanisms of Natural Alkaloids: A Review

“…In one study, researchers used Galleria mellonella as an infection model to report, for the first time, that berberine also has certain anti-invasive activity in vitro [ 72 ]. Studies have shown that berberine inhibits DNA replication, RNA transcription, and protein biosynthesis in bacteria.…”

Urinary Tract Infections and Associated Factors among Patients with Indwelling Urinary Catheters Attending Bugando Medical Centre a Tertiary Hospital in Northwestern Tanzania

“…These findings were also noted in a study conducted by Petronio et al, which determined that uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) is a heterogeneous group of extra intestinal pathogenic E. coli with several virulence factors that allow these bacteria to colonize the urinary tract and resist the host's defense mechanisms. These virulence factors are distinctive and very different from those observed in other human microbial communities; among them are type 1 fimbriae and P fimbriae, which are present on the bacteria surface [50]. Poor hygiene on the insertion site was observed in most of the study participants, as there was a large build-up of secretions observed during sampling leading to CA-UTI In general, GNB causing CA-UTI among patients with IUC showed higher and moderate resistance towards antibiotics of the first (i.e., ampicillin and trimethoprimsulfamethoxazole) and second (i.e., ceftriaxone) lines of treatment.…”

Phytochemicals: A Promising Weapon in the Arsenal against Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria

“…Berberine is an alkaloid that has been widely used as an anti-infective agent in traditional medicine. It possesses antibacterial activities against a wide range of microorganisms alone or in combination with antibiotics routinely [ 210 , 211 , 212 ].…”

“…Galleria mellonella as an infection model was used to confirm berberine’s ability to reduce bacterial adhesion and invasion proprieties of E. coli on human bladder cells. The results indicated that increasing the surviving larvae infected with pathogens reduced circulating uropathogenic E. coli strains in larvae hemolymph [ 210 ].…”