Pentagalloyl glucose: An ethnobotanical approach to multidrug resistance Público

Lin, Michelle (Spring 2020)

Permanent URL: https://etd.library.emory.edu/concern/etds/vm40xs70m?locale=pt-BR
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Abstract

Multidrug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii strains pose a significant public health threat in the twenty-first century due to their resistance to multiple antibiotic categories. Effective treatments for nosocomial infections of A. baumannii have dwindled as the evolution of resistance has outpaced the development of novel antimicrobials. Here, I applied an ethnobotanical approach to anti-infective drug discovery for A. baumannii, by (1) investigating the inhibitory activity of pentagalloyl glucose (PGG) isolated from Schinus terebinthifolia (Brazilian peppertree), (2) exploring possible inhibition mechanisms of PGG, and (3) confirming the antimicrobial effects of Rhus coriaria (Sicilian sumac) and Rhus copallinum (winged sumac), both of which are in the same family (Anacardiaceae) as S. terebinthifolia.  

Growth inhibition and time-kill assays revealed PGG to be a bacteriostatic agent against A. baumannii strains of varying resistance profiles (MIC 64 to 256 μg/mL), as well as Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MIC 16 μg/mL) and Staphylococcus aureus (MIC 64 μg/mL). Cytotoxicity assays with human keratinocytes revealed an IC50 of 256 μg/mL and a therapeutic index of 32, suggesting therapeutic use as a topical agent. A 21-day resistance passaging assay of PGG did not produce resistant phenotypes. Iron chelation and lipopolysaccharide attachment were identified as PGG's possible mechanism(s) of action. Finally, R. coriaria and R. copallinum extracts inhibited growth of A. baumannii (MICs of 128 μg/mL), P. aeruginosa (MICs of 32 and 64 μg/mL, respectively), and S. aureus (MICs of 64 and 256 μg/mL, respectively). PGG was determined to be a putative active compound in the Rhus extracts. In summation, traditional medicinal plants, like S. terebinthifolia and the Rhus extracts, provide unexplored avenues of research for the fight against multidrug resistance. 

Table of Contents

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION     1 

 Emergence and spread of highly resistant bacteria    

 Acinetobacter baumannii  

 Natural products as an alternative to conventional antibiotics 

 Project aims and research questions 

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW    8 

 Rhus coriaria 

 Rhus copallinum 

CHAPTER 3: MATERIALS AND METHODS    14 

Experimental overview 

Preparing crude extract from plant material 

Growth inhibition assays 

 Supplementation studies 

 Biofilm studies 

 Time-kill assays 

 Resistance studies 

 Cytotoxicity assays 

 HPLC and co-injection studies 

CHAPTER 4: RESULTS     31 

 Extraction and liquid-liquid partitioning 

 Growth inhibition assays  

 Biofilm inhibition and eradication assays against Acinetobacter baumannii 

 Supplementation assays  

 Time-kill assays 

 Resistance studies: spontaneous mutant and generational resistance 

 Cytotoxicity assays 

 Compound confirmation 

CHAPTER 5: DISCUSSION     52 

 Pentagalloyl glucose (PGG) in natural products 

 PGG: a promising topical agent for growth inhibition of Acinetobacter baumannii 

 Iron chelation as a possible mechanism of action 

 Lipopolysaccharide attachment as a possible mechanism of action 

 Conclusion

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