AUTHOR=Zhang Yong , Liu Yan , Qiu Jiazhang , Luo Zhao-Qing , Deng Xuming 

TITLE=The Herbal Compound Thymol Protects Mice From Lethal Infection by Salmonella Typhimurium

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=9

YEAR=2018

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2018.01022

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2018.01022

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p>Type III secretion system (T3SS) is an essential pathogenic determinant for many important bacterial pathogens; it functions to thwart immune defense by delivering effectors into host cells. Because of its essential role in bacterial virulence, this machinery is an important target in the development of novel anti-virulence therapeutics. By using an effector-lactamase fusion reporter, we identified thymol, a monoterpene phenol derivative of cymene, as an effective inhibitor of the T3SS-1 of <italic>Salmonella</italic> Typhimurium. Our results indicate that thymol effectively protected mice against <italic>S</italic>. Typhimurium-induced mortality and pathological damages, suggesting that this compound can be developed for the control of infections caused by <italic>Salmonella</italic> species.</p>