Cellular pathways targeted by p-anisaldehyde and epigallocatechin gallate in the opportunistic human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa

This study used P. aeruginosa PAO1 as a model to identify cellular pathways targeted in bacterial pathogens by p-anisaldehyde and structurally related compounds. We also screened a panel of plant-derived efflux pump inhibitors for the ability to potentiate the antimicrobial activity of phytoaldehydes and demonstrated that epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a polyphenol from green tea, acts synergistically with p-anisaldehyde and significantly reduces its minimal inhibitory concentration against P. aeruginosa. Finally, we profiled the transcriptomes of P. aeruginosa grown in the presence of p-anisaldehyde, EGCG, and a combination of thereof to gain insight into the possible mode of action of these plant-derived antimicrobial compounds.