Supplementing capsaicin with chitosan-based films enhanced the anti-quorum sensing, antimicrobial, antioxidant, transparency, elasticity and hydrophobicity.

In the current study, capsaicin, a plant alkaloid with high antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, antiobesity, anticancer and analgesic properties, was used in the film technology for the first time. In the same regard, chitosan (as a versatile animal-based polymer) was blended with capsaicin at three different concentrations to obtain edible films. The produced films were characterized by FT-IR, SEM, and DSC. Mechanical, transmittance, hydrophobicity, anti-quorum sensing, antimicrobial and antioxidant properties were also examined. Incorporation of 0.6 mg of capsaicin into the chitosan matrix (200 mg dissolved in 1% acetic acid solution) was observed as an optimal concentration for boosting up three film properties including mechanical, optical and surface morphology. A continuous improvement was recorded in anti-quorum sensing and antimicrobial activities, antioxidative and hydrophobicity with increasing concentration of capsaicin in the film. In further studies, chitosan-capsaicin blend films can be used as a food packaging material as well dermal and wound healing patches.

Ultrasonic-assisted synthesis of 1,4-disubstituted 1,2,3-triazoles via various terminal acetylenes and azide and their quorum sensing inhibition.

An efficient synthesis of 1,4-disubstituted 1,2,3-triazole derivatives was studied. 1,4-Disubstituted 1,2,3-triazoles containing isoxazole and thymidine structures were synthesized in 84-96% yields starting from various terminal isoxazole ether alkynes and ß-thymidine azide derivatives via a 1,3-dispolar cycloaddition using copper acetate, sodium ascorbate as the catalyst under ultrasonic assisted condition. All the target compounds were characterized by HRMS, FT-IR, 1H NMR and 13C NMR spectroscopy. Furthermore, the quorum sensing inhibitory activities of synthesized compounds were evaluated with Chromobacterium violaceum (C. Violaceum CV026) based on their inhibition of violacein production, with compound C10-HSL as a positive control. The compounds 8a, 8c and 8f exhibited considerable levels of inhibitory activity against violacein production, and IC50 values were 217±19, 223±20 and 42.8±4.5µM, respectively, which highlighted the potential of these compounds as lead structures for further research towards the development of novel QS inhibitors.

Effect of tannic and gallic acids alone or in combination with carbenicillin or tetracycline on Chromobacterium violaceum CV026 growth, motility, and biofilm formation.

Chromobacterium violaceum is an opportunistic pathogen that causes infections that are difficult to treat. The goal of this research was to evaluate the effect of selected tannins (tannic acid (TA) and gallic acid (GA)) on bacterial growth, motility, antibiotic (carbenicillin, tetracycline) susceptibility, and biofilm formation. Both tannins, particularly TA, impaired bacterial growth levels and swimming motilities at sub-minimum inhibitory concentrations (sub-MICs). In combination with tannins, antibiotics showed increased MICs, suggesting that tannins interfered with antibacterial activity. Sub-MICs of tetracycline or TA alone enhanced biofilm formation of C. violaceum; however, in combination, these compounds inhibited biofilm formation. In contrast, carbenicillin at sub-MICs was effective in inhibiting C. violaceum biofilm formation; however, in combination with lower concentrations of TA or GA, biofilms were enhanced. These results provide insights into the effects of tannins on C. violaceum growth and their varying interaction with antibiotics used to target C. violaceum infections.

Guava leaf extract inhibits quorum-sensing and Chromobacterium violaceum induced lysis of human hepatoma cells: whole transcriptome analysis reveals differential gene expression.

Quorum sensing (QS) is a process mediated via small molecules termed autoinducers (AI) that allow bacteria to respond and adjust according to the cell population density by altering the expression of multitudinous genes. Since QS governs numerous bioprocesses in bacteria, including virulence, its inhibition promises to be an ideal target for the development of novel therapeutics. We found that the aqueous leaf extract of Psidium guajava (GLE) exhibited anti-QS properties as evidenced by inhibition of violacein production in Chromobacterium violaceum and swarming motility of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The gram-negative bacterium, C. violaceum is a rare pathogen with high mortality rate. In this study, perhaps for the first time, we identified the target genes of GLE in C. violaceum MTCC 2656 by whole transcriptome analysis on Ion Torrent. Our data revealed that GLE significantly down-regulated 816 genes at least three fold, with p value ≤ 0.01, which comprises 19% of the C. violaceum MTCC 2656 genome. These genes were distributed throughout the genome and were associated with virulence, motility and other cellular processes, many of which have been described as quorum regulated in C. violaceum and other gram negative bacteria. Interestingly, GLE did not affect the growth of the bacteria. However, consistent with the gene expression pattern, GLE treated C. violaceum cells were restrained from causing lysis of human hepatoma cell line, HepG2, indicating a positive relationship between the QS-regulated genes and pathogenicity. Overall, our study proposes GLE as a QS inhibitor (QSI) with the ability to attenuate virulence without affecting growth. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report which provides with a plausible set of candidate genes regulated by the QS system in the neglected pathogen C. violaceum.

Atomic force microscopy reveals a morphological differentiation of chromobacterium violaceum cells associated with biofilm development and directed by N-hexanoyl-L-homoserine lactone.

Chromobacterium violaceum abounds in soil and water ecosystems in tropical and subtropical regions and occasionally causes severe and often fatal human and animal infections. The quorum sensing (QS) system and biofilm formation are essential for C. violaceum's adaptability and pathogenicity, however, their interrelation is still unknown. C. violaceum's cell and biofilm morphology were examined by atomic force microscopy (AFM) in comparison with growth rates, QS-dependent violacein biosynthesis and biofilm biomass quantification. To evaluate QS regulation of these processes, the wild-type strain C. violaceum ATCC 31532 and its mini-Tn5 mutant C. violaceum NCTC 13274, cultivated with and without the QS autoinducer N-hexanoyl-L-homoserine lactone (C6-HSL), were used. We report for the first time the unusual morphological differentiation of C. violaceum cells, associated with biofilm development and directed by the QS autoinducer. AFM revealed numerous invaginations of the external cytoplasmic membrane of wild-type cells, which were repressed in the mutant strain and restored by exogenous C6-HSL. With increasing bacterial growth, polymer matrix extrusions formed in place of invaginations, whereas mutant cells were covered with a diffusely distributed extracellular substance. Thus, quorum sensing in C. violaceum involves a morphological differentiation that organises biofilm formation and leads to a highly differentiated matrix structure.

Crystalline xylitol production by a novel yeast, Pichia caribbica (HQ222812), and its application for quorum sensing inhibition in gram-negative marker strain Chromobacterium violaceum CV026.

Xylitol, a sugar alcohol, is fast gaining ground over other artificial sugar substitutes owing to its advantageous properties. Xylitol is a safer alternative for diabetics because of insulin-independent metabolism. It has beneficial properties suitable to form an important part of odontological formulations. Conventional commercial production of xylitol involves harsh chemical method operating at high temperature and pressure. Thus, microbial production of xylitol is preferred over chemical method, and yeasts have been extensively exploited for this purpose. In the present manuscript, quantitative production of xylitol from D-xylose with the yield of 0.852 gm/gm and volumetric productivity of 1.83 gm/l/h in crystalline form, using novel yeast Pichia caribbica is reported. Also, a mild, safe procedure for product extraction is described. The ability of xylitol to act as a quorum sensing antagonist in gram-negative marker strain Chromobacterium violaceum CV026 has been demonstrated for the first time.

Bioassays of quorum sensing compounds using Agrobacterium tumefaciens and Chromobacterium violaceum.

In most bacteria, a global level of regulation exists involving intercellular communication via the production and response to cell density-dependent signal molecules. This cell density-dependent regulation has been termed quorum sensing (QS). QS is a global regulator, which has been associated with a number of important features in bacteria including virulence regulation and biofilm formation. Consequently, there is considerable interest in understanding, detecting, and inhibiting QS. Acyl homoserine lactones (acyl HSLs) are used as extracellular QS signals by a variety of Gram-negative bacteria. Chromobacterium violaceum, a Gram-negative bacterium commonly found in soil and water, produces the characteristic purple pigment violacein, the production of which is regulated by acyl HSL-mediated QS. Based on this readily observed pigmentation phenotype, C. violaceum strains can be used to detect various aspects of acyl HSL-mediated QS activity. In another commonly used bioassay organism, Agrobacterium tumefaciens, QS can be detected by the use of a reporter gene such as lacZ. Here, we describe several commonly used approaches incorporating C. violaceum and A. tumefaciens that can be used to detect acyl HSLs and QS inhibition.

Regulation of the violacein biosynthetic gene cluster by acylhomoserine lactone-mediated quorum sensing in Chromobacterium violaceum ATCC 12472.

Chromobacterium violaceum produces the purple pigment violacein by quorum-sensing regulation. 20-bp of the lux box-like sequence was found upstream of vioA in C. violaceum ATCC 12472. CviR received C10-HSL and C6-HSL and activated the transcription of vioA in Escherichia coli. However, in strain ATCC 12472, C6-HSL inhibited both C10-HSL-mediated violacein production and the transcription of vioA.

Efficient synthesis and evaluation of quorum-sensing modulators using small molecule macroarrays.

A method for the synthesis of small molecule macroarrays of N-acylated L-homoserine lactones (AHLs) is reported. A focused library of AHLs was constructed, and the macroarray platform was found to be compatible with both solution and agar-overlay assays using quorum-sensing (QS) reporter strains. Several QS antagonists were discovered and serve to showcase the macroarray as a straightforward technique for QS research.

Mesosome structure in Chromobacterium violaceum.

Exponentially growing cells of the gram-negative bacterium Chromobacterium violaceum demonstrate invaginations of the cytoplasmic membrane with a high frequency. These invaginations conform to the ultrastructural appearance of mesosomes of gram-positive bacteria. As many as four mesosomes are observed per cell, each of which may increase the total membrane surface of the cell by 30%. Washing of cells in dilute tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane buffer effects a distension of the mesosome "neck" and/or cytoplasmic membrane clarifying the association of the mesosome to the cytoplasmic membrane. Plasmolysis effects an eversion of the mesosome into the plasmolysis vacuole.

Organization of bacteriophage tail-like particles in cells of Chromobacterium violaceum.

A strain of Chromobacterium violaceum has been isolated which produces bacteriophage tail-like particles in high numbers. The extracellular morphology and the intracellular arrangement of these particles are described.

Effect of enzymes on the composition and structure of Chromobacterium violaceum cell envelopes.

Cell envelopes of Chromobacterium violaceum were isolated and treated under controlled conditions with trypsin, Pronase, lipase, phospholipase C, lysozyme, and a mixture of enzymes produced by a bacteriolytic Pseudomonas sp. After each enzyme treatment, losses in dry weight, protein, lipid, carbohydrate, 2,6-diaminopimelic acid, and total phosphorus were determined. Electron-microscopic examination of the enzyme-treated envelopes indicated complete or partial loss of envelope rigidity or some envelope fragmentation, or both. Each enzyme hydrolyzed at least one envelope component and liberated several others into the supernatant fluid, where they appeared as nondialyzable particulate components, identified by means of electron microscopy. Unlike the other enzymes, the Pseudomonas sp. enzyme mixture partially liberated all major envelope components except phosphorus, heptose, and 2-keto-3-deoxy octonic acid. In spite of these large losses, the envelopes preserved some features of their integrity and elongated shape.