Inhibition of Quorum Sensing Regulated Protein of E. coli using Food-based Biomolecules

Background and Objective: E. coli is one of the most important pathogens that cause nosocomial infections. As most microorganisms are becoming resistant to various drugs, the need for new Therapeutics is increasing day by day. Older methods mainly focused on killing the bacteria, which again makes them more resistant to new drugs. In this study, instead of killing the bacteria, the quorum sensing mechanism of the bacteria is interrupted using food biomolecules, thereby preventing the virulence activities of the bacteria. Materials and Methods: Bioactive compounds were selected based on their QQ activities and were subjected to molecular docking using AutoDock. The regulatory protein of E. coli (SdiA) was used as the target. After docking, the biomolecules with high docking scores were selected and carried out for in vitro analysis. The study was carried out in SLIMS and Divine Mother College, Pondicherry. Results: Out of 24 biomolecules, Epigallocatechin-3-gallate, naringin and Mangiferrin showed high docking scores against the protein SdiA. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate and naringin were used for in vitro studies and showed high anti-quorum-sensing activity in E. coli. They showed high inhibition of EPS and Biofilm formation in E. coli. Conclusion: To understand the QQ activity of the biomolecules and their mode of action further molecular interaction studies are needed. They can be used to develop efficient drugs.