The antibacterial activity of hydroxytyrosol

Hydroxytyrosol is a natural polyphenolic compound found in olive fruits. In recent years, research on its antibacterial activity against drug-resistant bacteria has gradually increased, showing promising application potential, as detailed below:

Effect on penicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: A study selected 5 strains of penicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus and 6 strains of penicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus as test strains to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of hydroxytyrosol. The results showed that the MIC values ranged from 0.97 to 31.25μg/ml, indicating that hydroxytyrosol has a certain inhibitory effect on penicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Inhibitory effect on other drug-resistant bacteria: In addition to penicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, hydroxytyrosol also inhibits other drug-resistant bacteria. Studies have shown that hydroxytyrosol exhibits antibacterial activity against drug-resistant strains such as Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Its MIC against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus is 0.625mg/mL, and against Pseudomonas aeruginosa is 1.250mg/mL. Its mechanism of action mainly involves destroying the integrity of bacterial cell membranes, causing a large amount of nucleic acids and soluble proteins in bacteria to leak out, thereby inhibiting bacterial growth and reproduction.

Interfering with bacterial quorum sensing: Research by Spanish scientists has found that hydroxytyrosol and its derivatives (such as hydroxytyrosol acetate) can interfere with bacterial quorum sensing (QS), reducing the toxicity of infections. Quorum sensing is a form of "communication" between bacteria; interfering with this process is expected to provide a new approach for treating drug-resistant bacterial infections, especially showing potential application value in addressing foodborne diseases caused by Campylobacter jejuni, Escherichia coli, Salmonella, etc.