Antibiotics (Mar 2023)

<i>Vernonia polyanthes</i> Less. (Asteraceae Bercht. & Presl), a Natural Source of Bioactive Compounds with Antibiotic Effect against Multidrug-Resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>

  • Jordana Damasceno Gitirana de Santana,
  • Oscar Alejandro Santos-Mayorga,
  • Jônatas Rodrigues Florencio,
  • Mirella Chrispim Cerqueira de Oliveira,
  • Luísa Maria Silveira de Almeida,
  • Julianna Oliveira de Lucas Xavier,
  • Danielle Cristina Zimmermann-Franco,
  • Gilson Costa Macedo,
  • Adriana Lúcia Pires Ferreira,
  • Orlando Vieira de Sousa,
  • Ademar Alves da Silva Filho,
  • Maria Silvana Alves

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics12030622
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12, no. 3
p. 622

Abstract

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Vernonia polyanthes is a medicinal plant used to treat many disorders, including infectious diseases. This study investigated the chemical constituents and the antibacterial activity of V. polyanthes leaf rinse extract (Vp-LRE). The chemical characterization of Vp-LRE was established using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC/Q-TOF-MS), and glaucolide A was identified through 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and mass fragmentation. The cytotoxicity was evaluated using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT). The antibacterial activity was assessed by minimal inhibitory concentration and minimal bactericidal concentration. Interactions between ligands and beta-lactamase were evaluated via molecular docking. UHPLC/Q-TOF-MS detected acacetin, apigenin, chrysoeriol, isorhamnetin, isorhamnetin isomer, kaempferide, 3′,4′-dimethoxyluteolin, 3,7-dimethoxy-5,3′,4′-trihydroxyflavone, piptocarphin A and glaucolide A. Vp-LRE (30 µg/mL) and glaucolide A (10 and 20 μg/mL) were cytotoxic against RAW 264.7 cells. Glaucolide A was not active, but Vp-LRE inhibited the Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), Escherichia coli, Salmonella Choleraesuis and Typhimurium, with a bacteriostatic effect. The compounds (glaucolide A, 3′,4′-dimethoxyluteolin, acacetin and apigenin) were able to interact with beta-lactamase, mainly through hydrogen bonding, with free energy between −6.2 to −7.5 kcal/mol. These results indicate that V. polyanthes is a potential natural source of phytochemicals with a significant antibiotic effect against MRSA strains.

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