AUTHOR=Ding Yahao , Wen Guilan , Wei Xingke , Zhou Hao , Li Chunjie , Luo Zhengqin , Ou Deyuan , Yang Jian , Song Xuqin 

TITLE=Antibacterial activity and mechanism of luteolin isolated from Lophatherum gracile Brongn. against multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Pharmacology

VOLUME=15

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2024.1430564

DOI=10.3389/fphar.2024.1430564

ISSN=1663-9812

ABSTRACT=<p>Infections caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria have become a major challenge for global healthcare systems. The search for antibacterial compounds from plants has received increasing attention in the fight against MDR bacteria. As a medicinal and edible plant, <italic>Lophatherum gracile</italic> Brongn. (<italic>L. gracile</italic>) has favorable antibacterial effect. However, the main antibacterial active compound and its antimicrobial mechanism are not clear. Here, our study first identified the key active compound from <italic>L. gracile</italic> as luteolin. Meanwhile, the antibacterial effect of luteolin was detected by using the broth microdilution method and time-kill curve analysis. Luteolin can also cause morphological structure degeneration and content leakage, cell wall/membrane damage, ATP synthesis reduction, and downregulation of mRNA expression levels of sulfonamide and quinolones resistance genes in multidrug-resistant <italic>Escherichia coli</italic> (MDR <italic>E. coli</italic>). Furthermore, untargeted UPLC/Q-TOF-MS-based metabolomics analysis of the bacterial metabolites revealed that luteolin significantly changed riboflavin energy metabolism, bacterial chemotaxis cell process and glycerophospholipid metabolism of MDR <italic>E. coli</italic>. This study suggests that luteolin could be a potential new food additive or preservative for controlling MDR <italic>E. coli</italic> infection and spread.</p>