Influence of microalgal lipids from Chlorella variabilis (ATCC PTA 12198) in reducing the virulence factors of multidrug-resistant Vibrio cholerae variant strains

This study intended to determine whether edible microalgae can play an active role as an anti-virulence agent for enteropathogens. It showed that Chlorella variabilis (ATCC PTA 12198) are able to inhibit the production of the virulence factors in pathogenic Vibrio cholerae strains, the causative agent of cholera cases. Total lipid extract from C. variabilis (TLCV) was able to suppress the cholera toxin (CT) production in multidrug-resistant variant V. cholerae strains without affecting their growth. Cell-cytotoxicity induced by cholera toxin was also arrested in the presence of TLCV. Further, in vivo study in the gut of Artemia salina showed slightly less colonization of V. cholerae in the presence of TLCV. GC-MS analysis of the TLCV revealed the presence of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids include 9-cis,12-cis-Linoleic acid (linoleic acid), 9,12 Octadecadienoic acid (linolenic acid), cis, cis, cis-6,9,12-Octadecatrienoic acid (γ-linolenic acid), cis-8,11,14-Eicosatrienoic acid (dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid) and cis-9-Octadecenoic acid (oleic acid). More specifically the aforesaid formulation works against most recent variant multidrug-resistant V. cholerae strain causing severe diarrhea. Thus, edible microalgae can a valuable natural source which possesses great potential to be developed as functional food ingredients and pharmaceutical products for reducing cholera.