Antibacterial activity of Chinese red propolis against staphylococcus aureus and MRSA

Wenwen Zhang, Di Wu, Wenqin Yuan, Sha Yan, Suzhen Qi, Xiaofeng Xue, Kai Wang, Liming Wu, Margarita Gomez Escalada

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

17 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The antibacterial activity of propolis has long been of great interest, and the chemical composition of propolis is directly dependent on its source. We recently obtained a type of propolis from China with a red color. Firstly, the antibacterial properties of this unusual propolis were determined against Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Studies on its composition identified and quantified 14 main polyphenols of Chinese red propolis extracts (RPE); quantification was carried out using liquid chromatography triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (LC-QQQ-MS/MS) and RPE was found to be rich in pinobanksin, pinobanksin3-acetate, and chrysin. In vitro investigations of its antibacterial activity revealed that its activity against S. aureus and MRSA is due to disruption of the cell wall and cell membrane, which then inhibits bacterial growth. Despite its similar antibacterial activities against S. aureus and MRSA, metabolomic analysis further revealed the effects of RPE on bacteria metabolism were different. The untargeted metabolomic results showed that a total of 7 metabolites in 12 metabolic pathways had significant changes (Fold change > 2, p < 0.05 *) after RPE treatment in S. aureus, while 11 metabolites in 9 metabolic pathways had significant changes (Fold change > 2, p < 0.05 *) after RPE treated on MRSA. Furthermore, RPE downregulated several specific genes related to bacterial biofilm formation, autolysis, cell wall synthesis, and bacterial virulence in MRSA. In conclusion, the data obtained indicate that RPE may be a promising therapeutic agent against S. aureus and MRSA.

Original languageEnglish
Article number1693
JournalMolecules
Volume27
Issue number5
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 4 Mar 2022
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Antibacterial activity
  • Antibacterial mechanism
  • Chinese red propolis
  • Metabolomics

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Antibacterial activity of Chinese red propolis against staphylococcus aureus and MRSA'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this