Stilbenes reduce Staphylococcus aureus hemolysis, biofilm formation, and virulence

Foodborne Pathog Dis. 2014 Sep;11(9):710-7. doi: 10.1089/fpd.2014.1758. Epub 2014 Jul 9.

Abstract

Stilbenoids have a broad range of beneficial health effects. On the other hand, the emergence of antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus aureus presents a worldwide problem that requires new antibiotics or nonantibiotic strategies. S. aureus produces α-hemolysin (a pore-forming cytotoxin) that has been implicated in the pathogenesis of sepsis and pneumonia. Furthermore, the biofilms formed by S. aureus constitute a mechanism of antimicrobial resistance. In this study, we investigated the hemolytic and antibiofilm activities of 10 stilbene-related compounds against S. aureus. trans-Stilbene and resveratrol at 10 μg/mL were found to markedly inhibit human blood hemolysis by S. aureus, and trans-stilbene also inhibited S. aureus biofilm formation without affecting its bacterial growth. Furthermore, trans-stilbene and resveratrol attenuated S. aureus virulence in vivo in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, which is normally killed by S. aureus. Transcriptional analysis showed that trans-stilbene repressed the α-hemolysin hla gene and the intercellular adhesion locus (icaA and icaD) in S. aureus, and this finding was in line with observed reductions in virulence and biofilm formation. In addition, vitisin B, a stilbenoid tetramer, at 1 μg/mL was observed to significantly inhibit human blood hemolysis by S. aureus.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / chemistry
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology*
  • Bacterial Proteins / drug effects
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics
  • Bacterial Toxins / genetics
  • Biofilms / drug effects*
  • Caenorhabditis elegans
  • Hemolysin Proteins / drug effects
  • Hemolysin Proteins / genetics
  • Hemolysis / drug effects*
  • Humans
  • Staphylococcal Infections / drug therapy*
  • Staphylococcal Infections / microbiology
  • Staphylococcus aureus / drug effects*
  • Staphylococcus aureus / pathogenicity
  • Staphylococcus aureus / physiology
  • Stilbenes / chemistry
  • Stilbenes / pharmacology*
  • Virulence

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Bacterial Toxins
  • Hemolysin Proteins
  • Stilbenes
  • staphylococcal alpha-toxin