1. Allicin Reduces the Production of α-Toxin by Staphylococcus aureus
- Author
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Xiao-Han Dai, Jia-Zhang Qiu, Xiao-Di Niu, Yu Zhang, Yong-Xing Ai, Xu-Ming Deng, Hong-En Li, Jian-Feng Wang, Jing Dong, Ming-Jing Luo, and Bing-Feng Leng
- Subjects
Staphylococcus aureus ,α-toxin ,allicin ,sub-inhibitory concentrations ,Organic chemistry ,QD241-441 - Abstract
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 α-toxin. In this study, we show that allicin, an organosulfur compound, was active against S. aureus with MICs ranged from 32 to 64 μg/mL. Haemolysis, Western blot and real-time RT-PCR assays were used to evaluate the effects of allicin on S. aureus α-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 α-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 α-toxin-producing S. aureus infections.
- Published
- 2011
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