Medicinal plant Miconia albicans synergizes with ampicillin and ciprofloxacin against multi-drug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii and Staphylococcus aureus

• Published in: BMC complementary and alternative medicine 2023-10, Vol.23 (1), p.1-374, Article 374
• Main Authors: de Jesus, Genilson Silva, Silva Trentin, Danielle, Barros, Thayná Fernandes, Ferreira, Alda Maria Teixeira, de Barros, Bruna Castro, de Oliveira Figueiredo, Patrícia, Garcez, Fernanda Rodrigues, dos Santos, Érica Luiz, Micheletti, Ana Camila, Yoshida, Nidia Cristiane
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acetates; Acetic acid; Acinetobacter baumannii; Adjuvants; Ampicillin; Antibacterial activity; Antibacterial agents; Antibiofilm; Antibiotic resistance; Antibiotics; Antimicrobial agents; Bacteria; Bioactive compounds; Bioactive natural products; Biofilms; Chemical composition; Chloroform; Ciprofloxacin; Defense mechanisms; Drug resistance; Drug resistance in microorganisms; Drug therapy, Combination; Drugs; Effectiveness; Ellagic acid; Esters; Ethyl acetate; Flavonols; Gallic acid; Glycosides; Herbal medicine; Hexanes; High performance liquid chromatography; Leaves; Liquid chromatography; Medicinal plants; Medicine, Botanic; Medicine, Herbal; Methicillin; Miconia albicans; Microorganisms; MRSA; Multidrug resistance; Natural products; Pathogens; Penicillin; Phases; Phenotypes; Phytochemicals; Saponins; Secondary metabolite; Software; Staphylococcus aureus; Staphylococcus aureus infections; Staphylococcus infections; Strains (organisms); Synergism; Synergistic effect; Triterpenes
• ISSN: 2662-7671; 2662-7671; 1472-6882
• DOI: 10.1186/s12906-023-04147-w

Background Given the rising occurrence of antibiotic resistance due to the existence and ongoing development of resistant bacteria and phenotypes, the identification of new treatments and sources of antimicrobial agents is of utmost urgency. An important strategy for tackling bacterial resistance involves the utilization of drug combinations, and natural products derived from plants hold significant potential as a rich source of bioactive compounds that can act as effective adjuvants. This study, therefore, aimed to assess the antibacterial potential and the chemical composition of Miconia albicans, a Brazilian medicinal plant used to treat various diseases. Methods Ethanolic extracts from leaves and stems of M. albicans were obtained and subsequently partitioned to give the corresponding hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and hydromethanolic phases. All extracts and phases had their chemical constitution investigated by HPLC-DAD-MS/MS and GC-MS and were assessed for their antibiofilm and antimicrobial efficacy against Staphylococcus aureus. Furthermore, their individual effects and synergistic potential in combination with antibiotics were examined against clinical strains of both S. aureus and Acinetobacter baumannii. In addition, 10 isolated compounds were obtained from the leaves phases and used for confirmation of the chemical profiles and for antibacterial assays. Results Based on the chemical profile analysis, 32 compounds were successfully or tentatively identified, including gallic and ellagic acid derivatives, flavonol glycosides, triterpenes and pheophorbides. Extracts and phases obtained from the medicinal plant M. albicans demonstrated synergistic effects when combined with the commercial antibiotics ampicillin and ciprofloxacin, against multi-drug resistant bacteria S. aureus and A. baumannii, restoring their antibacterial efficacy. Extracts and phases also exhibited antibiofilm property against S. aureus. Three key compounds commonly found in the samples, namely gallic acid, quercitrin, and corosolic acid, did not exhibit significant antibacterial activity when assessed individually or in combination with antibiotics against clinical bacterial strains. Conclusions Our findings reveal that M. albicans exhibits remarkable adjuvant potential for enhancing the effectiveness of antimicrobial drugs against resistant bacteria. Keywords: MRSA, Antibiotic resistance, Antibiofilm, Synergism, Secondary metabolite, Bioactive natural products