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Anti-bacterial and Anti-biofilm Effects of Equol on Yersinia enterocolitica

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Abstract

Yersinia enterocolitica has clinical significance due to its etiological role in yersiniosis and gastroenteritis. This study was designed to assess anti-bacterial and anti-biofilm effects of equol on Y. enterocolitica via phenotypic and genetic analyses. To determine its anti-bacterial activity, minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of equol against clinically isolated Y. enterocolitica strains were analyzed. Subsequently, it was confirmed that the sub-MIC90 value of equol could inhibit biofilm formation and reduce preformed biofilm. Furthermore, it was found that equol could reduce the expression of biofilm-related (hmsT) gene in Y. enterocolitica. This study also demonstrated that equol not only reduced levels of bacterial motility, but also decreased the expression of a motility-related (flhDC) gene in Y. enterocolitica. XTT [2,3-bis (2-metoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium-5-carboxanilide] reduction analysis revealed that equol attenuated cellular metabolic activities in Y. enterocolitica biofilm. Additionally, changes in biomass and cell density in equol-treated biofilms were visualized using a confocal laser scanning microscope. In conclusion, this study suggests that equol is a potential anti-bacterial and anti-biofilm agent to treat Y. enterocolitica.

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Abbreviations

CLSM:

Confocal laser scanning microscopy

DMSO:

Dimethyl sulfoxide

LB:

Luria–Bertani broth

MBEC:

Minimal biofilm eradication concentration

MBIC:

Minimal biofilm inhibition concentration

MIC:

Minimum inhibitory concentrations

qPCR:

Quantitative polymerase chain reaction

PI:

Propidium iodide

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by a Soonchunhyang University research fund and a National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) Grant [NRF-2020R1F1A1071977] funded by the Korean government (MSIT).

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Author notes

  1. Yong-Bin Eom

    Present address: Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, College of Medical Sciences, Soonchunhyang University, 22 Soonchunhyang-ro, Sinchang-myeon, Asan-si, Chungcheongnam-do, 31538, Republic of Korea

  2. Hye-Rim Kim and Mi-Suk Han contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Sciences, Graduate School, Soonchunhyang University, Asan-si, Chungcheongnam-do, 31538, Republic of Korea

    Hye-Rim Kim & Yong-Bin Eom

  2. Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, College of Medical Sciences, Soonchunhyang University, 22 Soonchunhyang-ro, Sinchang-myeon, Asan-si, Chungcheongnam-do, 31538, Republic of Korea

    Mi-Suk Han

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Contributions

Conceptualization: H-RK, M-SH and Y-BE; Methodology: H-RK; Software: H-RK and M-SH; Validation: H-RK, M-SH and Y-BE.; Investigation: H-RK and M-SH; Resources: Y-BE; Data curation: H-RK and M-SH; Writing—original draft preparation: H-RK and M-SH; Writing—review and editing, H-RK and Y-BE.; Supervision: Y-BE.; Project administration: Y-BE.; Funding acquisition: Y-BE. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Yong-Bin Eom.

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Kim, HR., Han, MS. & Eom, YB. Anti-bacterial and Anti-biofilm Effects of Equol on Yersinia enterocolitica. Indian J Microbiol 62, 401–410 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12088-022-01020-1

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