The antimicrobial capacity of Cistus salviifolius and Punica granatum plant extracts against clinical pathogens is related to their polyphenolic composition

Abstract

Antimicrobial resistance poses a serious threat to human health worldwide. Plant compounds may help to overcome antibiotic resistance due to their potential resistance modifying capacity. Several botanical extracts and pure polyphenolic compounds were screened against a panel of eleven bacterial isolates with clinical relevance. The two best performing agents, Cistus salviifolius (CS) and Punica granatum (GP) extracts, were tested against 100 Staphylococcus aureus clinical isolates, which resulted in average MIC50 values ranging between 50–80 µg/mL. CS extract, containing hydrolyzable tannins and flavonoids such as myricetin and quercetin derivatives, demonstrated higher activity against methicillin-resistant S. aureus isolates. GP extract, which contained mostly hydrolyzable tannins, such as punicalin and punicalagin, was more effective against methicillin-sensitive S. aureus isolates. Generalized linear model regression and multiple correspondence statistical analysis revealed a correlation between a higher susceptibility to CS extract with bacterial resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics and quinolones. On the contrary, susceptibility to GP extract was related with bacteria sensitive to quinolones and oxacillin. Bacterial susceptibility to GP and CS extracts was linked to a resistance profile based on cell wall disruption mechanism. In conclusion, a differential antibacterial activity against S. aureus isolates was observed depending on antibiotic resistance profile of isolates and extract polyphenolic composition, which may lead to development of combinatorial therapies including antibiotics and botanical extracts.

Review on the Antibacterial Mechanism of Plant-Derived Compounds against Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria (MDR)

“…Alkaloids are organic nitrogenous compounds with substantial structural diversity [ 25 ]. The name “alkaloids” was introduced in 1819 by German chemist Carl Friedrich Wilhelm Meissner to refer to natural products of plant origin that showed basic properties similar to alkalis, but Friedrich Wilhelm Adam Sertürner is best known for his discovery of morphine in 1804; Sertürner isolated the first alkaloids [ 99 ]. These molecules' biosynthetic origin involves various organisms like bacteria, fungi, plants, and animals [ 100 ].…”

A Comprehensive Study of the Antibacterial Activity of Bioactive Juice and Extracts from Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) Peels and Seeds

“…Multi-drug resistant microorganisms are a major problem threatening human health around the world. Therefore, one of the most researched is the area of finding alternative solutions for the use of antibiotics [ 60 ]. According to the literature [ 39 , 61 , 62 , 63 ], Gram-positive bacteria are more susceptible to antimicrobial agents, as Gram-negative bacteria, due to their outer lipopolysaccharide membranes, are more resistant.…”

Antibacterial Activity of Medicinal Plants against Uropathogenic Escherichia coli

“…The great features of plants are the main reason behind this increasing interest; besides the low cost and the few reported side effects,[ 18 ] bacteria potentially are less likely to develop resistance against plant extracts as they contain a wide range of phytochemicals that act against many different molecular targets within bacterial cells. [ 19 20 ] The presence of a wide variety of phytochemicals and secondary metabolites in medicinal plants gives them a broad spectrum of properties. These compounds are classified into groups according to their chemical composition; the main groups include flavonoids, quinones, coumarins, tannins, alkaloids, terpenoids, lectins, and polypeptides.…”