Interference of morintides on some virulence determinants of selected bacterial pathogens.

In this study, small antimicrobial peptides of <10 kDa (AMPs) from Moringa oleifera L were separated from crude protein by Ultra-15 Centrifugal filter devices and partially purified. The potency of morintides to interfere with the virulence determinants like biofilms, siderophores and elastase of selected bacteria was investigated by spectrophotometric method and Pseudomonas quinolone signal (PQS) by Thin-layer chromatography (TLC). GraphPad Prism 5.0 was used for statistical purpose. Assays were subjected to a two-way analysis of variance with Bonferroni as post-test. Shigella flexneri, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, showed a decrease in the attachment of cells to form biofilm in the presence of the morintides. While Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Salmonella typhi showed an increase in the attachment of cells to form biofilms. Morintides were very effective in the disruption of developed biofilms in cases of S. aureus, E. coli, K. pneumoniae from surgical wounds and S. flexneri, while others remained ineffective in the disruption of developed biofilms. Siderophore production was decreased by all bacterial strains under investigation in the presence of morintides except P. aeruginosa. The outcome of the research may have a significant contribution to drug discovery against antibiotic resistant biofilms of bacteria.