Title : Exploring the impact of plectranthus amboinicus L. Extracts on antioxidant system and cell membrane integrity of P. aeruginosa PA01 and S. aureus NCTC8325
Abstract:
Plectranthus amboinicus (Indian borage) has been extensively studied for its medicinal properties, which can be exploited to develop new antimicrobial therapeutics. The current study investigated the effect of Plectranthus amboinicus leaf extracts on the catalase activity, reactive oxygen species, lipid peroxidation, cytoplasmic membrane permeability, and efflux pump activity in S. aureus NCTC8325 and P. aeruginosa PA01. As the enzyme catalase protects bacteria against oxidative stress, disruption of its activity creates an imbalance in reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, which subsequently oxidizes lipid chains, leading to lipid peroxidation. In addition, bacterial cell membranes are a potential target for new antibacterial agents, as efflux pump systems play a crucial role in antimicrobial resistance. Upon exposure of the microorganisms to Indian borage leaf extracts, the observed catalase activity decreased by 60% and 20% in P. aeruginosa and S. aureus, respectively. The generation of ROS can cause oxidation reactions to occur within the polyunsaturated fatty acids of the lipid membranes and induce lipid peroxidation. To investigate these phenomena, the increase in ROS activity in P. aeruginosa and S. aureus was studied using H2DCFDA, which is oxidized to 2′,7′-dichlorofluorescein (DCF) by ROS. Furthermore, the concentration of lipid peroxidation product (malondialdehyde) was assessed using the Thiobarbituric acid assay and was shown to increase by 42.4% and 42.5% in P. aeruginosa and S. aureus, respectively. The effect of the extracts on the cell membrane permeability was monitored using diSC3-5 dye and it was observed that the cell membrane permeability of P. aeruginosa increased by 58% and of S. aureus by 83%. The effect on efflux pump activity was investigated using Rhodamine-6-uptake assay, which displayed a decrease in efflux activity of 25.5% in P. aeruginosa and 24.2% in S. aureus after treatment with the extracts. This combination of different methods to study various bacterial virulence factors provides a more robust, mechanistic understanding of the effect of P. amboinicus extracts on P. aeruginosa and S. aureus. This study thus represents the first report of the assessment of the effect of Indian borage leaf extracts on bacterial antioxidant systems and bacterial cell membranes and can facilitate the future development of bacterial resistance modifying agents derived from P. amboinicus.
What will audience learn from your presentation?
- My project revolves around ethnopharmacology and microbiology. In my opinion, my research will help people in gaining a better understanding of the traditional practices of different communities and cultures across the world and thus paving a way for traditional medicines in the field of healthcare. This can surely ignite a new hope in discovery of new drug candidates as these plants are a rich source of phytochemicals and can potentially be developed into new drugs or used in association with other drugs. My research also promotes sustainability and conservation as these plants are on the verge of extinction due to lack of knowledge. Additionally, they can be used to fight antimicrobial resistance and can be easily accessible, reduced side effects and cost-effective than other synthetic drugs. Also, my research is the first report on the various bioactivities of P. amboinicus against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. This can help the audience in exploring the different target mechanisms that can be used to destroy these bacteria.
- Learning about my research can be relevant and useful for researchers working in various fields such as healthcare, research and development, pharmacology, and microbiology. For healthcare professionals, my research can help them in providing holistic and culturally sensitive care to people coming from diverse backgrounds and understanding the use of traditional medicines which can complement modern medicine. This can surely help them in identifying the possible interactions between the home remedies and prescribed treatments which can ensure the safety of the patients. For researchers working in the field of biomedical sciences and microbiology specifically, my work can provide understanding into the different virulence factors of the bacteria and target mechanisms that can be used in drug development. Also, it can help them in exploring different phytochemicals and identifying bioactive compounds from plants as potential new drug candidates. My project is an amalgamation of microbiology, plant biology and biochemistry which opens doors to researchers from different fields to try something innovative with their on-going projects.
- Yes absolutely, my research consists of microbiology and plant studies which can be useful for other faculties to expand their research or teaching. For example, microbiology research can be beneficial for faculties in healthcare, environmental science, life sciences, agriculture, and biotechnology. Healthcare faculties can use microbiology research to better understand infectious diseases, microbes associated with nosocomial infections, develop new treatments with minimum side effects and improve patient outcomes. Environmental science faculties can use my research to understand the role of microorganisms in ecosystems, and presence of endophytes in plants that explains the mutualistic relationship of nature. Similarly, biotechnology faculties can use it to develop new biotechnological applications and sustainable options in drug development to combat AMR. Similarly, pharmacology faculties can explore my research to identify new drug candidates and natural remedies. In addition, as my work revolves around microbiology and plant biology research, these topics are very valuable for teaching. Teaching professionals can use my research findings to develop course materials, case studies, and practical applications for students in different fields. They can also use research methods and techniques to teach students about experimental design, data analysis, and scientific communication.
- In my opinion, my research can surely improve the efficiency of the design as it aims to provide solutions to an on-going problem such as shortage of new antimicrobials and antibiotic resistance. My research focuses on identifying antimicrobial properties of compounds obtained from P. amboinicus plant, this will lead to development of natural and new antimicrobial agents that can reduce the need for synthetic agents which have severe side effects on the patients and may develop resistance in the future. This in turn may lead to a more economic and eco-friendly option that designers could incorporate in their designs. Similarly, in-depth research of these two bacteria will help the designers to develop antimicrobials specifically designed for the bacteria to avoid any form of resistance.
- The accuracy of any design does depend on factors such as the quality of the materials, the processing, and designer’s skills. My research can provide more information as it is one of the first reports addressing some new innovations that can assist in solving design problems and leading to a more efficient development. My project provides information on the virulence factors and target mechanisms that help microbes to exhibit AMR, which can be exploited to develop better treatments and avoid mistakes or drawbacks in previous projects or even my research. In addition, my research can provide new perceptions into the potential risks and benefits associated with phytochemicals and their cytotoxicity. This information could be used to inform the design of safer products, and to help designers make more updated findings about the products they use.
Plectranthus amboinicus also known as Indian borage has been used since ancient times for its antimicrobial activities. Some of the advantages of working with this plant are as follows,
- Natural antimicrobial activities: Indian borage plant is reported to consist of phytochemicals such as thymol, carvacrol, eugenol which display a variety of bioactivities and are known to inhibit a range of microbes. The broad range of activity against fungi, Gram negative and Gram-positive bacteria, makes this plant an ideal candidate for treating infections.
- Low toxicity and side-effects: Indian borage was reported to be safe and non-toxic home remedy for decades and can be an alternative to synthetic drugs which have negative side effects.
- Synergistic effects: Indian borage contains multiple bioactive compounds that could work together with existing antibiotics to provide synergistic effects, potentially increasing its antimicrobial activity.
