Influence of subinhibitory concentrations of licochalcone A on the secretion of enterotoxins A and B by Staphylococcus aureus

FEMS Microbiol Lett. 2010 Jun;307(2):135-41. doi: 10.1111/j.1574-6968.2010.01973.x. Epub 2010 Apr 2.

Abstract

Enterotoxins produced by Staphylococcus aureus are the key pathogenicity factors that can cause a variety of illnesses in humans, including staphylococcal gastroenteritis and food poisoning. It has been proven that licochalcone A is a potentially effective antimicrobial agent against S. aureus. In this study, Western blot assays, tumour necrosis factor release assays, murine T-cell proliferation assays, and real-time reverse transcriptase-PCR were performed to evaluate the effect of subinhibitory concentrations of licochalcone A on the secretion of two major enterotoxins (SEA and SEB) by S. aureus. The results show that licochalcone A significantly decreased, in a dose-dependent manner, the secretion of SEA and SEB by both methicillin-sensitive S. aureus and methicillin-resistant S. aureus. These results may increase the desirability of using licochalcone A as a lead compound for the design of more potent antibacterial agents based on the chalcone template.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Blotting, Western
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Chalcones / pharmacology*
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Enterotoxins / genetics
  • Enterotoxins / metabolism*
  • Gene Expression / drug effects
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Spleen / cytology
  • Spleen / metabolism
  • Staphylococcus aureus / drug effects*
  • Staphylococcus aureus / physiology
  • T-Lymphocytes / metabolism
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / metabolism

Substances

  • Chalcones
  • Enterotoxins
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
  • enterotoxin A, Staphylococcal
  • enterotoxin B, staphylococcal
  • licochalcone A