Allicin Reduces the Production of alpha-Toxin by Staphylococcus aureus

作者：Leng, Bing-Feng; Qiu, Jia-Zhang; Dai, Xiao-Han; Dong, Jing; Wang, Jian-Feng; Luo, Ming-Jing; Li, Hong-En; Niu, Xiao-Di; Zhang, Yu; Ai, Yong-Xing^*; Deng, Xu-Ming

来源：Molecules, 2011, 16(9): 7958-7968.

DOI：10.3390/molecules16097958

• Staphylococcus aureus
• alpha-toxin
• allicin
• sub-inhibitory concentrations

Staphylococcus aureus causes a broad range of life-threatening diseases in humans. The pathogenicity of this micro-organism is largely dependent upon its virulence factors. One of the most extensively studied virulence factors is the extracellular protein alpha-toxin. In this study, we show that allicin, an organosulfur compound, was active against S. aureus with MICs ranged from 32 to 64 mu g/mL. Haemolysis, Western blot and real-time RT-PCR assays were used to evaluate the effects of allicin on S. aureus alpha-toxin production and on the levels of gene expression, respectively. The results of our study indicated that sub-inhibitory concentrations of allicin decreased the production of -toxin in both methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA) and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, the transcriptional levels of agr (accessory gene regulator) in S. aureus were inhibited by allicin. Therefore, allicin may be useful in the treatment of alpha-toxin-producing S. aureus infections.

• 出版日期2011-9
• 单位吉林大学