Antibacterial activity and synergy of antibiotics with sanguisorbigenin isolated from Sanguisorba officinalis L. against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

The present study evaluated the Antibacterial activity and the synergy of the sanguisorbigenin (SGB) from the dried root of Sanguisorba officinalis L. combined with β-lactam Antibiotics against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. A total of six strains of reference strain and clinical isolates were used to determine the Antibacterial activity using a broth microdilution assay, and the synergistic effects were determined using a checkerboard assay. To analyse the mechanism of synergy, we conducted the level of penicillin-binding protein 2a by western blot. In addition, quantitative RT-PCR was performed to analyse the mecA gene expression. The minimal inhibitory concentration values of SGB against six strains of S. aureus were in the range of 12·5-50 μg ml^-1 , and there were synergy, or partial synergy effects when SGB was combined with Antibiotics. Furthermore, when treated with SGB, the level of penicillin-binding protein 2a and the expression of the mecA gene was reduced significantly. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that SGB is a potential natural Antibacterial agent against methicillin-resistant S. aureus that represents a considerable burden on the healthcare system worldwide, and may an exceptionally modulator of β-lactam Antibiotics.