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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Microbiol.
Sec. Antimicrobials, Resistance and Chemotherapy
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2025.1529081
This article is part of the Research Topic Emerging Antimicrobials: Sources, Mechanisms of Action, Spectrum of Activity, Combination Antimicrobial Therapy, and Resistance Mechanisms View all 11 articles
Manno-oligosaccharides as a promising antimicrobial strategy: pathogen inhibition and synergistic effects with antibiotics
Provisionally accepted- University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
Infections caused by pathogenic bacteria pose a significant health challenge to humans and animals, especially given the rising incidence of antimicrobial resistance. Addressing this challenge has resulted in initiatives seeking alternatives to traditional antibiotics. Manno-oligosaccharides (MOS) appear to have pathogen-binding properties due to their ability to prevent bacterial adhesion to epithelial cells, such as those within the urinary tract and the intestinal epithelium, and may offer a promising alternative to antibiotics. In this study, we explore the ability of various β-MOS products to inhibit the growth of Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Listeria monocytogenes and Streptococcus mutans, in addition to their ability to render antibiotics more effective. Inhibition profiles were distinct for each bacterial strain and differed according to β-MOS structure. Antibiotics were significantly potentiated by MOS in some cases, such as ceftazidime against K. pneumoniae. This research shows the role of carbohydrate structure in the anti-bacterial properties of nondigestible oligosaccharides such as MOS, and positions MOS as a promising strategy in the treatment of bacterial infections.
Keywords: Manno-oligosaccharides, pathogens, antimicrobial resistance, Antibiotic potentiation, carbohydrate structure-function
Received: 15 Nov 2024; Accepted: 21 Jan 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Asbury and Saville. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Rachel E. Asbury, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
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