Gallocatechin analogues from <i>Olax subscorpioidea</i> Oliv. against multiresistant clinical bacterial isolates

Bienvenu Tsakem; Billy Toussie Tchegnitegni; Valaire Yemene Matieta; Xavier Siwe Noundou; Beaudelaire Kemvoufo Ponou; Syed Ghulam Musharraf; Léon Azefack Tapondjou; Victor Kuete; Rémy Bertrand Teponno; Bienvenu Tsakem; Billy Toussie Tchegnitegni; Valaire Yemene Matieta; Xavier Siwe Noundou; Beaudelaire Kemvoufo Ponou; Syed Ghulam Musharraf; Léon Azefack Tapondjou; Victor Kuete; Rémy Bertrand Teponno

doi:10.3934/molsci.2025011

AIMS Molecular Science

2025, Volume 12, Issue 2: 173-186. doi: 10.3934/molsci.2025011

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Gallocatechin analogues from Olax subscorpioidea Oliv. against multiresistant clinical bacterial isolates

1.
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria, South Africa
2.
H.E.J. Research Institute of Chemistry, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi, Karachi, 75270, Pakistan
3.
Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Dschang, P.O. Box 67, Dschang, Cameroon
4.
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Dschang, P.O. Box 67, Dschang, Cameroon

Received: 18 January 2025 Revised: 26 May 2025 Accepted: 11 June 2025 Published: 18 June 2025

The recurrence of bacterial infections is commonly associated with the multiple interactions between humans and their environment. These interactions have progressively contributed to the development of antimicrobial resistance among numerous clinically important pathogenic bacteria. The present study targeted the antibacterial activity of natural products derived from the stem bark of O. subscorpioidea against clinical isolates of bacteria. This included the Gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus and three Gram-negative bacteria, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Providencia stuartii, and Escherichia coli. The plant material was extracted by maceration, and chromatography was performed to isolate the chemical constituents from plant extracts as well as from the reaction medium. The resulting compounds were characterized using spectroscopic and spectrometric techniques. The antibacterial activity was assessed by the microdilution method. Five compounds were isolated, including olasubscorpioside A (1), 4′-O-methylgallocatechin (2), olasubscorpioside C (3), olasubscorpioside B (5a), isoolasubcorpioside B (5b), and glyceryl-1-eicosanoate (6). The semisynthetic derivatives 4′-O-methylgallocatechin (2) (also isolated from the plant extract) and tetra-O-allyl olasubscorpioside A (4) were prepared and characterized. Interestingly, olasubscorpioside A (1) and 4′-O-methylgallocatechin (2) displayed a significant antibacterial effect (MIC = 8 µg/mL) against the pathogenic isolate Staphylococcus aureus resistant to methicillin, ofloxacin, kanamycin, tetracycline, and erythromycin. Compound 2 had a better activity relative to 1 against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (from MIC > 256 to 128 µg/mL) and Escherichia coli (from MIC = 128 to 64 µg/mL). Gallocatechins from the stem bark of Olax subscorpioidea are promising bioactive molecules to fight against multiresistant bacteria.
- antibacterial activity,
- clinical isolates,
- bacterial resistance,
- gallocatechin,
- olasubscorpioside,
- Olax subscorpioidea
Citation: Bienvenu Tsakem, Billy Toussie Tchegnitegni, Valaire Yemene Matieta, Xavier Siwe Noundou, Beaudelaire Kemvoufo Ponou, Syed Ghulam Musharraf, Léon Azefack Tapondjou, Victor Kuete, Rémy Bertrand Teponno. Gallocatechin analogues from Olax subscorpioidea Oliv. against multiresistant clinical bacterial isolates[J]. AIMS Molecular Science, 2025, 12(2): 173-186. doi: 10.3934/molsci.2025011

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Abstract

The recurrence of bacterial infections is commonly associated with the multiple interactions between humans and their environment. These interactions have progressively contributed to the development of antimicrobial resistance among numerous clinically important pathogenic bacteria. The present study targeted the antibacterial activity of natural products derived from the stem bark of O. subscorpioidea against clinical isolates of bacteria. This included the Gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus and three Gram-negative bacteria, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Providencia stuartii, and Escherichia coli. The plant material was extracted by maceration, and chromatography was performed to isolate the chemical constituents from plant extracts as well as from the reaction medium. The resulting compounds were characterized using spectroscopic and spectrometric techniques. The antibacterial activity was assessed by the microdilution method. Five compounds were isolated, including olasubscorpioside A (1), 4′-O-methylgallocatechin (2), olasubscorpioside C (3), olasubscorpioside B (5a), isoolasubcorpioside B (5b), and glyceryl-1-eicosanoate (6). The semisynthetic derivatives 4′-O-methylgallocatechin (2) (also isolated from the plant extract) and tetra-O-allyl olasubscorpioside A (4) were prepared and characterized. Interestingly, olasubscorpioside A (1) and 4′-O-methylgallocatechin (2) displayed a significant antibacterial effect (MIC = 8 µg/mL) against the pathogenic isolate Staphylococcus aureus resistant to methicillin, ofloxacin, kanamycin, tetracycline, and erythromycin. Compound 2 had a better activity relative to 1 against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (from MIC > 256 to 128 µg/mL) and Escherichia coli (from MIC = 128 to 64 µg/mL). Gallocatechins from the stem bark of Olax subscorpioidea are promising bioactive molecules to fight against multiresistant bacteria.

Acknowledgments

The authors are very grateful to The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) and the International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS), University of Karachi, Pakistan, for their financial and technical support through ICCBS-TWAS Postdoctoral Fellowship no. 3240311206 granted to B.T.T. The authors are also grateful to the Alexander Von Humboldt Foundation (AvH), Bonn, Germany for the financial support of the present work (3.4-CMR-Hub).

Funding

This research was funded by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (AvH) (Bonn, Germany), TWAS-ICCBS no. 3240311206. The authors acknowledge a National Research Foundation (NRF) Competitive Support for Unrated Researchers (CSUR) grant, Number: SRUG2203291031; a 5th BRICS STI Framework Programme grant award (BRICS JAF # 2021/305). The work reported herein was made possible through funding from the South African Medical Research Council through its Division of Research Capacity Development under the Research Capacity Development Initiative (RCDI/SMU) Programme. The content and findings reported/ illustrated are the sole deduction, view and responsibility of the researcher and do not reflect the official position and sentiments of the SAMRC.

Conflicts of interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest in this paper.

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