Friedelin: A natural compound exhibited potent antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and wound healing properties against MRSA-infected wounds

Abstract

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is primarily recognized as a pathogen responsible for skin, soft tissue, and multiple organs infection. The colonization of the skin and mucous membranes by hypervirulent resistant bacteria like MRSA during hospitalization significantly contributes to life-threatening conditions. Friedelin (FRN) is a pentacyclic triterpene (C 30 H 50 O) isolated from Euphorbia grantii Oliv. The current work aims to determine the efficacy of FRN against MRSA-infected wounds in mice besides the in vitro study to evaluate its bactericidal activity. The in vitro study revealed that FRN was strongly active against MRSA which had a wide zone of MRSA growth inhibition and promising minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). Moreover, FRN downregulated the major virulence genes seb and icaD , responsible for the production of staphylococcal enterotoxin SED and biofilm formation, respectively in contrast to the untreated group. The dressing of MRSA-infected wound with 40 ppm FRN significantly reduced the wound size and bacterial count and accelerated the process of wound healing which had a higher immune expression of both VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) and α-SMA (alpha smooth muscle actin) compared with other treated groups. Additionally, FRN could reduce the inflammatory response of MRSA in a dose-dependent manner by downregulating the TNF-α (tumor necrosis factor-α) and PGS-2 (prostaglandin synthase-2 ) gene expression levels. FRN is effective against MRSA-infected wounds via its potent bactericidal and anti-inflammatory activities that accelerate angiogenesis and wound maturation. Graphical Abstract

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