Medicinal plant extracts protect epithelial cells from infection and DNA damage caused by colibactin-producing Escherichia coli, and inhibit the growth of bacteria

Abstract

© 2020 The Society for Applied Microbiology Aims: To investigate the biological activity of Thai medicinal plant extracts and their active substances on the inhibition of growth and the transcription of colibactin genes of colibactin-producing Escherichia coli, and effect on the pathogenesis from colibactin toxin including transient infections and colibactin-induced DNA damage. Methods and Results: Among 16 medicinal plants examined, aqueous extracts of Terminalia catappa, Psidium guajava and Sandoricum koetjape demonstrated the growth inhibition against E. coli ATCC 25922, which is known to produce colibactin toxin. These plant extracts contain the active phytochemical compounds, tannin and quercetin, which are able to inhibit the growth of E. coli ATCC 25922. Interestingly, the extracts of T. catappa, P. guajava and S. koetjape, and their compounds tannin and quercetin, protected the eukaryotic epithelial cells of Vero cells and Caco-2 cells from infection and DNA damage by E. coli ATCC 25922. Moreover, these plant extracts and compounds exhibited efficacy to downregulate the expression of five genes (clbA, clbB, clbM, clbN and clbP) that are required for colibactin biosynthesis. Conclusions: The extracts of T. catappa, P. guajava and S. koetjape, and their compounds of tannin and quercetin had ability to inhibit the growth and transcription of colibactin genes of colibactin-producing Escherichia coli. Hence, these plant extracts and compounds could protect the transient infection and DNA damage of the eukaryotic epithelial cells. Significance and Impact of the Study: This study is the first of its kind to report on the enhancement of the biological properties of T. catappa, P. guajava and S. koetjape, and to support the exogenous compound usage of tannin and quercetin, which may be able to protect against the transient infection and DNA damage of eukaryotic cells from E. coli carrying colibactin toxin.