Pentadecanal inspired molecules as new anti-biofilm agents against <i>Staphylococcus epidermidis</i>

<i>Staphylococcus epidermidis</i>, a harmless human skin colonizer, is a significant nosocomial pathogen in predisposed hosts because of its capability to form a biofilm on indwelling medical devices. In a recent paper, the purification and identification of the pentadecanal produced by the Antarctic bacterium <i>Pseudoalteromonas haloplanktis</i> TAC125, able to impair <i>S. epidermidis</i> biofilm formation, were reported. Here the authors report on the chemical synthesis of pentadecanal derivatives, their anti-biofilm activity on <i>S. epidermidis</i>, and their action in combination with antibiotics. The results clearly indicate that the pentadecanal derivatives were able to prevent, to a different extent, biofilm formation and that pentadecanoic acid positively modulated the antimicrobial activity of the vancomycin. The cytotoxicity of these new anti-biofilm molecules was tested on two different immortalized eukaryotic cell lines in view of their potential applications.表皮葡萄球菌（Staphylococcus epidermidis）是一种无害的人体皮肤定植共生菌，但其可在植入式医疗器械表面形成生物膜，因此在易感宿主中是一类重要的医院获得性病原菌。近期一项研究报道，从南极细菌假交替单胞菌（Pseudoalteromonas haloplanktis）TAC125中纯化并鉴定出十五醛（pentadecanal），该物质能够抑制表皮葡萄球菌的生物膜形成。本研究中，作者报道了十五醛衍生物的化学合成工艺、其对表皮葡萄球菌的抗生物膜活性，以及其与抗生素联合使用的作用效果。实验结果明确显示，十五醛衍生物可在不同程度上阻断生物膜的形成，且十五烷酸（pentadecanoic acid）可正向增强万古霉素（vancomycin）的抗菌活性。鉴于这类新型抗生物膜分子的潜在应用前景，作者针对两种不同的永生化真核细胞系测试了其细胞毒性。