Panax ginseng has anti-infective activity against opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa by inhibiting quorum sensing, a bacterial communication process critical for establishing infection

TY - JOUR

T1 - Panax ginseng has anti-infective activity against opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa by inhibiting quorum sensing, a bacterial communication process critical for establishing infection

AU - Song, Z

AU - Kong, K F

AU - Wu, H

AU - Maricic, N

AU - Ramalingam, B

AU - Priestap, H

AU - Schneper, L

AU - Quirke, J M E

AU - Høiby, N

AU - Mathee, K

N1 - Published by Elsevier GmbH.

PY - 2010/11/1

Y1 - 2010/11/1

N2 - Virulent factors produced by pathogens play an important role in the infectious process, which is regulated by a cell-to-cell communication mechanism called quorum sensing (QS). Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an important opportunistic human pathogen, which causes infections in patients with compromised immune systems and cystic fibrosis. The QS systems of P. aeruginosa use N-acylated homoserine lactone (AHL) as signal molecules. Previously we have demonstrated that Panax ginseng treatment allowed the animals with P. aeruginosa pneumonia to effectively clear the bacterial infection. We postulated that the ability to impact the outcome of infections is partly due to ginseng having direct effect on the production of P. aeruginosa virulence factors. The study explores the effect of ginseng on alginate, protease and AHL production. The effect of ginseng extracts on growth and expression of QS-controlled virulence factors on the prototypic P. aeruginosa PAO1 and its isogenic mucoid variant (PAOmucA22) was determined. Ginseng did not inhibit the growth of the bacteria, enhanced the extracellular protein production and stimulated the production of alginate. However, ginseng suppressed the production of LasA and LasB and down-regulated the synthesis of the AHL molecules. Ginseng has a negative effect on the QS system of P. aeruginosa, may explain the ginseng-dependent bacterial clearance from the animal lungs in vivo in our previous animal study. It is possible that enhancing and repressing activities of ginseng are mutually exclusive as it is a complex mixture, as shown with the HPLC analysis of the hot water extract. Though ginseng is a promising natural synergetic remedy, it is important to isolate and evaluate the ginseng compounds associated with the anti-QS activity.

AB - Virulent factors produced by pathogens play an important role in the infectious process, which is regulated by a cell-to-cell communication mechanism called quorum sensing (QS). Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an important opportunistic human pathogen, which causes infections in patients with compromised immune systems and cystic fibrosis. The QS systems of P. aeruginosa use N-acylated homoserine lactone (AHL) as signal molecules. Previously we have demonstrated that Panax ginseng treatment allowed the animals with P. aeruginosa pneumonia to effectively clear the bacterial infection. We postulated that the ability to impact the outcome of infections is partly due to ginseng having direct effect on the production of P. aeruginosa virulence factors. The study explores the effect of ginseng on alginate, protease and AHL production. The effect of ginseng extracts on growth and expression of QS-controlled virulence factors on the prototypic P. aeruginosa PAO1 and its isogenic mucoid variant (PAOmucA22) was determined. Ginseng did not inhibit the growth of the bacteria, enhanced the extracellular protein production and stimulated the production of alginate. However, ginseng suppressed the production of LasA and LasB and down-regulated the synthesis of the AHL molecules. Ginseng has a negative effect on the QS system of P. aeruginosa, may explain the ginseng-dependent bacterial clearance from the animal lungs in vivo in our previous animal study. It is possible that enhancing and repressing activities of ginseng are mutually exclusive as it is a complex mixture, as shown with the HPLC analysis of the hot water extract. Though ginseng is a promising natural synergetic remedy, it is important to isolate and evaluate the ginseng compounds associated with the anti-QS activity.

KW - 4-Butyrolactone

KW - Alginates

KW - Anti-Infective Agents

KW - Bacterial Proteins

KW - Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid

KW - Down-Regulation

KW - Glucuronic Acid

KW - Hexuronic Acids

KW - Metalloendopeptidases

KW - Panax

KW - Phytotherapy

KW - Plant Extracts

KW - Pseudomonas Infections

KW - Pseudomonas aeruginosa

KW - Signal Transduction

KW - Virulence

KW - Virulence Factors

U2 - 10.1016/j.phymed.2010.03.015

DO - 10.1016/j.phymed.2010.03.015

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 20554187

SN - 0944-7113

VL - 17

SP - 1040

EP - 1046

JO - Phytomedicine

JF - Phytomedicine

IS - 13

ER -