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Usnic acid, a natural antimicrobial agent able to inhibit bacterial biofilm formation on polymer surfaces

Usnic acid, a natural antimicrobial agent able to inhibit bacterial biofilm formation on polymer surfaces
Usnic acid, a natural antimicrobial agent able to inhibit bacterial biofilm formation on polymer surfaces
In modern medicine, artificial devices are used for repair or replacement of damaged parts of the body, delivery of drugs, and monitoring the status of critically ill patients. However, artificial surfaces are often susceptible to colonization by bacteria and fungi. Once microorganisms have adhered to the surface, they can form biofilms, resulting in highly resistant local or systemic infections. At this time, the evidence suggests that (+)-usnic acid, a secondary lichen metabolite, possesses antimicrobial activity against a number of planktonic gram-positive bacteria, including Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, and Enterococcus faecium. Since lichens are surface-attached communities that produce antibiotics, including usnic acid, to protect themselves from colonization by other bacteria, we hypothesized that the mode of action of usnic acid may be utilized in the control of medical biofilms. We loaded (+)-usnic acid into modified polyurethane and quantitatively assessed the capacity of (+)-usnic acid to control biofilm formation by either S. aureus or Pseudomonas aeruginosa under laminar flow conditions by using image analysis. (+)-Usnic acid-loaded polymers did not inhibit the initial attachment of S. aureus cells, but killing the attached cells resulted in the inhibition of biofilm. Interestingly, although P. aeruginosa biofilms did form on the surface of (+)-usnic acid-loaded polymer, the morphology of the biofilm was altered, possibly indicating that (+)-usnic acid interfered with signaling pathways.
0066-4804
4360-4365
Francolini, I.
fbca2b3f-ff4a-45fa-b0c2-66810e708a19
Norris, P.
f11006fe-92b3-4f5d-8be4-381dd1c4c07d
Piozzi, A.
b3a04b05-c606-4f04-9d15-feb7d9ff2752
Donelli, G.
85587f94-aec1-4351-8f6e-ba22adad8c13
Stoodley, P.
08614665-92a9-4466-806e-20c6daeb483f
Francolini, I.
fbca2b3f-ff4a-45fa-b0c2-66810e708a19
Norris, P.
f11006fe-92b3-4f5d-8be4-381dd1c4c07d
Piozzi, A.
b3a04b05-c606-4f04-9d15-feb7d9ff2752
Donelli, G.
85587f94-aec1-4351-8f6e-ba22adad8c13
Stoodley, P.
08614665-92a9-4466-806e-20c6daeb483f

Francolini, I., Norris, P., Piozzi, A., Donelli, G. and Stoodley, P. (2004) Usnic acid, a natural antimicrobial agent able to inhibit bacterial biofilm formation on polymer surfaces. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, 48 (11), 4360-4365. (doi:10.1128/AAC.48.11.4360-4365.2004).

Record type: Article

Abstract

In modern medicine, artificial devices are used for repair or replacement of damaged parts of the body, delivery of drugs, and monitoring the status of critically ill patients. However, artificial surfaces are often susceptible to colonization by bacteria and fungi. Once microorganisms have adhered to the surface, they can form biofilms, resulting in highly resistant local or systemic infections. At this time, the evidence suggests that (+)-usnic acid, a secondary lichen metabolite, possesses antimicrobial activity against a number of planktonic gram-positive bacteria, including Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, and Enterococcus faecium. Since lichens are surface-attached communities that produce antibiotics, including usnic acid, to protect themselves from colonization by other bacteria, we hypothesized that the mode of action of usnic acid may be utilized in the control of medical biofilms. We loaded (+)-usnic acid into modified polyurethane and quantitatively assessed the capacity of (+)-usnic acid to control biofilm formation by either S. aureus or Pseudomonas aeruginosa under laminar flow conditions by using image analysis. (+)-Usnic acid-loaded polymers did not inhibit the initial attachment of S. aureus cells, but killing the attached cells resulted in the inhibition of biofilm. Interestingly, although P. aeruginosa biofilms did form on the surface of (+)-usnic acid-loaded polymer, the morphology of the biofilm was altered, possibly indicating that (+)-usnic acid interfered with signaling pathways.

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More information

Published date: November 2004
Organisations: Engineering Mats & Surface Engineerg Gp

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 157113
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/157113
ISSN: 0066-4804
PURE UUID: da2bc0fa-d0ed-4b45-88e5-265572a9db3e
ORCID for P. Stoodley: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-6069-273X

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Date deposited: 09 Jun 2010 09:11
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 02:55

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Contributors

Author: I. Francolini
Author: P. Norris
Author: A. Piozzi
Author: G. Donelli
Author: P. Stoodley ORCID iD

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