Antibiotic resistance is a rapidly growing threat to global public health. The long-term effectiveness of antibiotics is limited by the emergence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens, adverse side effects to the patient brought on by high antibiotic doses, and non-targeted effects on the host’s commensal microbial community. The declining repertoire of helpful drugs motivates the need to identify novel approaches to limit the use and maintain the effectiveness of existing antibiotics. Previously, we showed that a polyphenolic rich extract from maple syrup (PRMSE) can make infectious bacteria more susceptible to antibiotic treatment. Specifically, we had demonstrated that PRMSE can enhance the effectiveness of antibiotics ciprofloxacin and carbenicillin in the killing of Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In this study, we report that PRMSE and ciprofloxacin combination therapy display in vivo synergy against P. aeruginosa in insect (D. melanogaster and G. mellonella) and murine infection models at clinically relevant doses. This suggests that PRMSE can be used as an antibiotic adjuvant for the treatment of different types of bacterial infections. The molecular mechanisms for the observed synergy of PRMSE with antibiotics will be discussed. The proposed adjuvant-based treatment may expand the spectrum of existing antibiotics, prevent the emergence of resistant bacteria, and minimize potential cytotoxicity due to high antibiotic doses.

Maple syrup-derived polyphenolics potentiate antibiotics in vivo

2019 Spring National Meeting

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