Hyperforin potentiates polymyxin B against multidrug-resistant Gram-negative pathogens via membrane disruption, biofilm eradication, and oxidative stress.

ABSTRACT: The escalating spread of multidrug-resistant (MDR) Gram-negative pathogens, particularly Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Acinetobacter baumannii, has severely undermined the efficacy of polymyxin B, one of the few remaining last-line antibiotics. Here, we identify hyperforin, a natural product derived from Hypericum perforatum, as a potent polymyxin B adjuvant capable of restoring its antibacterial activity against clinical Gram-negative isolates with high-level polymyxin resistance. Using a suite of in vitro assays, including fractional inhibitory concentration index, time-kill kinetics, biofilm eradication, membrane integrity assays, and ultrastructural imaging of the bacterial outer membrane, we show that hyperforin significantly enh

SUBMITTER: Hussein M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12691686 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature