Poster Presentation Australian Society for Microbiology Annual Scientific Meeting 2014

Antimicrobial and anti-biofilm activity of natural extracts against Staphylococcus aureus (#229)

Jeong Hun Cho 1 , Taehun Park 1 , Susun An 1
  1. Amorepacific corporation R&D center, Amorepacific R&D Center, South Korea

Staphylococcus aureus, a opportunistic human and animal pathogen, is a gram-positive bacterium that commonly lives or colonizes on human skin and causes skin diseases such as atopic dermatitis, furuncle, impetigo, and cellulitis. Because biofilms form a condensed, well-defined polymeric layer network closely surrounding the cells, S. aureus enclosed in the structure show much remarkable resistance to both host immune responses and available therapeutic agents. Therefore, it is necessary to find controlling systems for biofilms as well as bacteria themselves to defense skin and discover innovative treatment options. Four natural extracts, which are Scutellaria baicalensis Root Extract, polysaccharides of cypress leaves, onion extract, and phytosphingosine originated from yeast fermentation, are carried minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) test out to identify their antimicrobial activity against S. aureus. To measure biofilm-inhibitory activity, each of 4 natural extracts was diluted in biofilm forming processes of S. aureus, the biofilms are analyzed to numerical values compared to the untreated after 48 h incubation. The results demonstrated that more than 30% reduction of biofilm was in the range of more than 0.125% of Scutellaria baicalensis Root Extract, 0.016% of polysaccharides of cypress leaves, 0.063% of onion extract, and 0.003% of phytosphingosine, separately. The biofilm-removal activity was verified in phytosphingosine only, 56.1% reduction at 0.063% phytosphingosine compared to no treatment in medium. Ingredients having anti-biofilm effect are expected to protect skin for making S. aureus unhook from skin and phytosphingosine has excellent efficacy for both biofilm inhibitiory and removal activity as well as antimicrobials against the harmful bacteria. Therefore phytosphingosine can be applied to cosmetics in many ways for skin ecologic balance.