Assessment of antimicrobial and quorum-quenching activity of bioactive compounds against biosensor and foodborne bacteria

• Grant number: 24/03061-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: August 01, 2025
• End date: November 30, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Food Science and Technology - Food Science
• Principal Investigator: Uelinton Manoel Pinto
• Grantee: Catarina Angeli Santos
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas (FCF). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 13/07914-8 - FoRC - Food Research Center, AP.CEPID

Abstract

Bacteria communicate through a system known as quorum sensing (QS), which allows a coordinated behavioral response to changes in cell density. This communication can modulate the transcription of genes and functions such as biofilm formation and dispersion, motility, toxin production, among others. The potential presented by plant secondary metabolites at inhibiting QS is of special interest due to the dynamic interactions between plants and microbes. However, the specific mechanisms involved in quorum quenching (QQ) processes are still not well understood. The objective of this project is to evaluate the inhibitory effect of different classes of bioactive compounds with antimicrobial and QQ potential and their combinations against bacteria relevant to the food industry and human health, elucidating their potential mechanism of action. Initially, phenolic compounds with antimicrobial potential and the ability to interfere with QS in food-relevant bacteria will be selected through a systematic review of the literature. For compounds showing better activity, assays will be conducted to investigate the specificity of inhibition, indicating the inhibitory mechanism of action through the study of compound-bacteria interactions in microscale thermophoresis (MST) assays and gene expression via qRT-PCR in genes related to the QS system. Finally, a study of cytotoxicity and efficacy in cells and in the C. elegans in vivo model will be conducted. (AU)