AUTHOR=Balkrishna Acharya , Joshi Monali , Kabdwal Manisha , Tomer Meenu , Lochab Savita , Varshney Anurag 

TITLE=Robust anti-tubercular profile of Solanum virginianum extract in enhancing isoniazid bioavailability and curtailing stress tolerance in Mycobacterium smegmatis

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=15

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2024.1429027

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2024.1429027

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Introduction</title><p>The formidable survival mechanisms employed by <italic>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</italic> (<italic>Mtb</italic>), combined with the low bioavailability of anti-tubercular drugs and their associated hepatotoxicity, worsen tuberculosis management. Traditional medicinal plants offer potential solutions to these challenges. This study focuses on exploring the anti-tubercular potential of <italic>Solanum virginianum</italic> against <italic>Mycobacterium smegmatis</italic>, <italic>mc<sup>2</sup>155</italic>.</p></sec><sec><title>Methods and results</title><p>HPTLC and UHPLC phytochemically characterized the hydro-methanolic extract of <italic>Solanum virginianum</italic> (SVE). SVE curtails the growth and viability of <italic>mc<sup>2</sup>155</italic> under normal and <italic>in vitro</italic> stress conditions. The compromised cell wall integrity of <italic>mc<sup>2</sup>155</italic> with SVE is depicted through scanning electron microscopy (SEM) while EtBr permeability assays and TLC-based comparative changes in lipids extraction addressed the integrity of the cell wall. Furthermore, SVE augmented the susceptibility of <italic>mc<sup>2</sup>155</italic> towards Isoniazid (INH) through enhanced bioavailability. Adjunct treatment of SVE with INH demonstrated a markedly reduced survival of the intracellular bacilli. The study also uncovered the hepatoprotective potential of SVE in HepG2 cells.</p></sec><sec><title>Conclusion</title><p>This research paves the way for deeper exploration into the potential of <italic>Solanum virginianum</italic> against virulent <italic>Mtb</italic> strains, emphasizing over the significance of traditional medicinal plants in tuberculosis treatment. Collectively, the findings suggest SVE as a potent candidate for independent or adjunct anti-tubercular therapy.</p></sec>