Effects of resveratrol on the growth and enzyme production of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia: a burn wound pathogen

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify the potential of resveratrol in inhibiting the growth and production of two enzymes, hyaluronidase and protease, in Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, which has become a burn wound pathogen of great significance. Method: Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (ATCC 17666) was cultured in nutrient broth and the microbial load was standardised to 0.5 McFarland standard at 600nm. The study included antimicrobial assays (well diffusion and resazurin dye binding method), hyaluronidase expression regulation assay (hyaluronic acid hydrolysis assay and turbidity assay) and protease expression regulation assay (casein hydrolysis assay and determination of specific activity of protease using tyrosine standard). Results: The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of resveratrol against Stenotrophomonas maltophilia was found to be 125µg/ml. Hyaluronidase production in the organism treated with resveratrol was found to be half that in the untreated organism. The specific activity of protease produced by the organism treated with resveratrol was found to be one-quarter that in the untreated organism, as analysed by the tyrosine standard estimation protocol. Conclusion: Resveratrol was found to be a potent compound to treat Stenotrophomonas maltophilia infections. In addition to the antimicrobial and enzyme-regulatory properties of resveratrol, it also shows anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. This finding has great scope clinically as resveratrol may prove to be an ideal drug to treat burn wound infections.