Determination of phyto-moieties from the traditional therapeutic plant Boswellia serrata Roxb. extract against nosocomial pathogens: in vitro and silico approaches

Introduction: The present study aimed to examine the in vitro antibacterial activity of Boswellia serrata solvent extracts against multidrug-resistant nosocomial pathogens isolated from skin and wound samples.Methods: B. serrata resin was acquired, and powdered; blended with five different extraction solvents. The collected bacterial isolates from wound and skin swabs were identified using biochemical profiling and classified according to their unique physiological and biochemical characteristics. Three isolated pathogens were exposed to antibiotic drugs via the disk dispersion assay, and the antimicrobial efficiency of the plant extract was assessed against the wound and skin infection-causing nosocomial bacterial pathogens. The qualitative and quantitative examination of plant extracts was carried out by mass spectra and 70 eV electron impact ionisation process. The 2D molecular interaction patterns between beta-lactamase protein and phytocompounds complexes were generated in DS viewer to understand the hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interaction.Results: Three antibiotic-resistant strains, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Acinetobacter baumannii, were isolated and exposed to the extract of B. serrata. Plant extract at 60 mu g proven effective against antibiotic-resistant strains of S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, and A. baumannii. In molecular docking studies, it was found that out of the 15 bioactive compounds detected from the plant extract, only three showed significant binding affinity to the bacterial-lactamase protein (AmpC). The auto dock results revealed different crucial affinity values of the bioactive compounds. Cholan-24-oic acid, 3,12-bis(acetyloxy) showed a Dock score of -8.6 kcal/mol for P. aeruginosa, -8.1 kcal/mol for A. baumannii, and -7.6 kcal/mol for S. aureus. Due to its strong binding affinity with antibacterial target proteins, it exhibits exceptional antibacterial properties.Conclusion: The findings confirmed bioactive constituents in B. serrata, with antibacterial activity against antibiotic resistance nosocomial pathogens.