Antibacterial and anti-biofilm activities of paeonol against Klebsiella pneumoniae and Enterobacter cloacae

Abstract

Paeonol, the active ingredient of Paeonia lactiflora root bark, is widely used in traditional Chinese medicine. Few studies have reported the antibacterial activity of paeonol against bacterial pathogens. In this study, the antibacterial and anti-biofilm performance of paeonol against Klebsiella pneumoniae and Enterobacter cloacae was investigated as well as its mechanisms of action. Paeonol effectively inhibited the growth of K. pneumoniae and E. cloacae with a minimum inhibitory concentration of 64 μg ml⁻¹ and it was shown to disrupt the integrity of bacterial cell membranes, and alter cell morphology. Moreover, paeonol exhibited a potent inhibitory effect against adhesion and biofilm formation by K. pneumoniae and E. cloacae. In particular, paeonol efficiently compromised cells within biofilms, and dispersed mature biofilms. Therefore, the present study suggests that paeonol is a promising alternative antibacterial and anti-biofilm agent for combating infections caused by planktonic and biofilm cells of K. pneumoniae and E. cloacae.

Keywords:

• paeonol
• Klebsiella pneumoniae
• Enterobacter cloacae
• minimum inhibitory concentration
• biofilm formation
• biofilm dispersal

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported in part by the Science and technology plan project of the Xi’an science and technology bureau (2019216514GXRC001CG002-GXYD1.6, 2020KJRC0007), the Science and technology project of Shaanxi (2021NY-123), and the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2019M653945).