Synergistic antibacterial and anti-biofilm activities of resveratrol and polymyxin B against Multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Abstract Bacterial infection caused by Multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa has become a tricky problem in clinical practice. In recent years, lots of efforts have been made the treatment this type of bacterial infection. Polymyxins, which usually act as the available antibiotic for otherwise untreatable Gram-negative bacteria, can also be useful for the treatment of Multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection. However, current pharmacodynamic (PD) and pharmacokinetic (PK) data on polymyxins suggest that polymyxin monotherapy is unlikely to generate reliably efficacious plasma concentrations. Also, polymyxin resistance has been frequently reported, especially among Multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which further narrows the availability of polymyxins in clinical practice. A strategy for improving antimicrobial properties of polymyxins and preventing the development of polymyxin resistance is the use of polymyxins in combination with other agents. Indeed, it is increasingly being used clinically. In this study, we have demonstrated that resveratrol, a compound that can be well tolerated by human body, has synergistic effect with polymyxin B on antibacterial and anti-biofilm activities, which suggests that it may be an ideal partner for the combination therapy of polymyxin B against MDR Pseudomonas aeruginosa.