Disruption of bacterial redox homeostasis by <i>Tanacetum argyrophyllum</i> essential oil in antibiotic-sensitive and resistant <i>Escherichia coli</i>

Lusine Margaryan; Silvard Tadevosyan; Karen Trchounian; Naira Sahakyan; Lusine Margaryan; Silvard Tadevosyan; Karen Trchounian; Naira Sahakyan

doi:10.3934/biophy.2026011

AIMS Biophysics

2026, Volume 13, Issue 2: 189-203. doi: 10.3934/biophy.2026011

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Research article

Disruption of bacterial redox homeostasis by Tanacetum argyrophyllum essential oil in antibiotic-sensitive and resistant Escherichia coli

1.
Department of Restoration and Conservation, Mesrop Mashtots Institute of Ancient Manuscripts, Matenadaran, 53 Mashtots Ave, 0009 Yerevan, Armenia
2.
Research Institute of Biology; Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology & Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology Yerevan State University, 1 A. Manoogian Str., 0025 Yerevan, Armenia

Received: 15 March 2026 Revised: 27 April 2026 Accepted: 11 May 2026 Published: 18 May 2026

The emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria highlights the need for novel natural antimicrobial agents. This study aimed to evaluate the chemical composition, antimicrobial activity, and redox-modulatory effects of Tanacetum argyrophyllum essential oil (EO) against Escherichia coli wild-type (E. coli K12) and kanamycin-resistant (E. coli pARG-25) strains. EO extraction yielded 0.1% (v/w), with eucalyptol (35%), camphor (24%), and camphene (17%) as major constituents, thus defining a eucalyptol–camphor chemotype. The minimum inhibitory concentrations were 100 µL/mL for both strains. Biophysical analyses revealed that EO exposure delayed the decline in the extracellular oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) and altered the pH dynamics, thus reflecting interference with bacterial kinetics, metabolic activity, and organic acid production. Biochemical assays indicated strain-specific oxidative stress responses: malondialdehyde formation increased by ~50% in the resistant strain, accompanied by substantial upregulation of superoxide dismutase and catalase activities, whereas the wild-type strain showed moderate changes. These data suggest that T. argyrophyllum EO disrupts bacterial redox homeostasis, likely via the modulation of antioxidant defenses, thus resulting in reduced viability and enhanced oxidative stress in resistant cells.
The findings provide some influence modes into EO-mediated bacteriostatic effects and support its potential as a natural agent that targets kanamycin-resistant bacteria through redox-dependent pathways.
- Armenian flora,
- prooxidant activity,
- SOD,
- catalase,
- ORP,
- redox status
Citation: Lusine Margaryan, Silvard Tadevosyan, Karen Trchounian, Naira Sahakyan. Disruption of bacterial redox homeostasis by Tanacetum argyrophyllum essential oil in antibiotic-sensitive and resistant Escherichia coli[J]. AIMS Biophysics, 2026, 13(2): 189-203. doi: 10.3934/biophy.2026011

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Abstract

The emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria highlights the need for novel natural antimicrobial agents. This study aimed to evaluate the chemical composition, antimicrobial activity, and redox-modulatory effects of Tanacetum argyrophyllum essential oil (EO) against Escherichia coli wild-type (E. coli K12) and kanamycin-resistant (E. coli pARG-25) strains. EO extraction yielded 0.1% (v/w), with eucalyptol (35%), camphor (24%), and camphene (17%) as major constituents, thus defining a eucalyptol–camphor chemotype. The minimum inhibitory concentrations were 100 µL/mL for both strains. Biophysical analyses revealed that EO exposure delayed the decline in the extracellular oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) and altered the pH dynamics, thus reflecting interference with bacterial kinetics, metabolic activity, and organic acid production. Biochemical assays indicated strain-specific oxidative stress responses: malondialdehyde formation increased by ~50% in the resistant strain, accompanied by substantial upregulation of superoxide dismutase and catalase activities, whereas the wild-type strain showed moderate changes. These data suggest that T. argyrophyllum EO disrupts bacterial redox homeostasis, likely via the modulation of antioxidant defenses, thus resulting in reduced viability and enhanced oxidative stress in resistant cells.

The findings provide some influence modes into EO-mediated bacteriostatic effects and support its potential as a natural agent that targets kanamycin-resistant bacteria through redox-dependent pathways.

Abbreviations

antioxidant index

AMR

antimicrobial resistance

BCA

bicinchoninic acid

DPPH

2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl

Essential oil

GC-MS

Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry

GPx

glutathione peroxidase

HPLC

High-performance liquid chromatography

MDA

malondialdehyde

MIC

minimum inhibitory concentration

NIST

National Institute of Standards and Technology

ORP

Oxidation–reduction potential

ROS

reactive oxygen species

RRI

Relative Retention Index

Standard deviation

SOD

Superoxide dismutase

TBA

Thiobarbituric Acid

TBARS

Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances

wild type

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Science Committee of RA, in the frames of the research project № 21AG-4D027; Basic support from Science Committee of RA, Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of RA.

Conflict of interest

The authors declared no conflict of interest.

Author contributions

All authors contributed to the conception and design of study. LM and ST carried out the investigations and analyzed the data. NS and KT directed the experiments, corrected, and edited the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript and have participated sufficiently in the work and agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work and provided approval of the final submitted manuscript.

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