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Inhibition of the multidrug efflux pump LmrS from Staphylococcus aureus by cumin spice Cuminum cyminum

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Abstract

Staphylococcus aureus is a serious causative agent of infectious disease. Multidrug-resistant strains like methicillin-resistant S. aureus compromise treatment efficacy, causing significant morbidity and mortality. Active efflux represents a major antimicrobial resistance mechanism. The proton-driven multidrug efflux pump, LmrS, actively exports structurally distinct antimicrobials. To circumvent resistance and restore clinical efficacy of antibiotics, efflux pump inhibitors are necessary, and natural edible spices like cumin are potential candidates. The mode of cumin antibacterial action and underlying mechanisms behind drug resistance inhibition, however, are unclear. We tested the hypothesis that cumin inhibits LmrS drug transport. We found that cumin inhibited bacterial growth and LmrS ethidium transport in a dosage-dependent manner. We demonstrate that cumin is antibacterial toward a multidrug-resistant host and that resistance modulation involves multidrug efflux inhibition.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by an Internal Research Grant (ENMU) and by the US Department of Education, HSI STEM, P031C110114.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Eastern New Mexico University, Portales, NM, 88130, USA

    Prathusha Kakarla, Jared Floyd, MunMun Mukherjee, Indrika Ranweera, Ranjana KC, Ugina ‘Shrestha, Upender Rao Cheeti, Thomas Mark Willmon, Jaclyn Adams, Merissa Bruns & Manuel F. Varela

  2. Department of Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, University of North Texas, 1155 Union Circle #305220, Denton, TX, 76203, USA

    Amith R. Devireddy & Madhuri A. Inupakutika

  3. Bioinformatics Division, Osmania University, Hyderabad, Telangana, 500007, India

    Shravan Kumar Gunda

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  1. Prathusha Kakarla
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Correspondence to Manuel F. Varela.

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Communicated by Erko Stackebrandt.

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Kakarla, P., Floyd, J., Mukherjee, M. et al. Inhibition of the multidrug efflux pump LmrS from Staphylococcus aureus by cumin spice Cuminum cyminum . Arch Microbiol 199, 465–474 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-016-1314-5

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