Plant-based efflux pump inhibitors to counteract antimicrobial resistance and improve food safety

Project: PhD

Project Details

Description

Changes in food production practices evolve in respond to global demands, they will introduce new challenge that directly endanger food security and safety. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) are commonly found in animal-derived products, fruits and vegetables. ARB strains, such as Eschercia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, is widely recognize as a significant global health issue. Bacteria employ various resistance mechanisms to counteract the effect of antibiotic. The primary contributor to multidrug resistance (MDR) is the overexpression of Efflux Pump (EP) system, which expel antibacterial molecules from bacterial cells, diminishing their concentration below effective levels. By disrupting the action of the EPs, EPIs prevent or lower the rate of antimicrobial extrusion, which consequentially, leads to an effective intracellular concentration of the antimicrobial, which is the basis of successful treatment of bacterial infection. Nature can more effectively provide wider chemical diversity than synthetic chemistry. Plant defense metabolites, such as prenylated (iso)flavonoids found in plants from the Fabaceae family and indole alkaloids from Brassicacea family, exhibit antimicrobial effects, including inhibition of EPs, potentially inhibiting bacterial resistance development. Despite these findings, the search for natural EPIs remains limited, and none are currently approved for use. Therefore, given the pressing need to address MDR bacteria not only in hospitals but also in our food systems, and the rich biodiversity of Indonesia, which holds potential for sourcing novel phytochemicals, research into finding and understanding the mechanism of novel plant-derived EPIs is highly warranted.
StatusActive
Effective start/end date1/11/24 → …

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