Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40055436›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2025

Antibiofilm activity of Plumbagin against Staphylococcus aureus.

Songtao Bie, Hui Yuan, Chen Shi, Chunshuang Li, Ming Lu, Ze Yao, Ruobing Liu, Ding Lu, Tenglong Ma, Heshui Yu

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Songtao Bie *College of Pharmaceutical Engineering of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China. song9209@tjutcm.edu.cn.
Hui Yuan *College of Pharmaceutical Engineering of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China.
Chen ShiCollege of Pharmaceutical Engineering of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China.
Chunshuang LiCollege of Pharmaceutical Engineering of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China.
Ming LuCollege of Pharmaceutical Engineering of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China.
Ze YaoCollege of Pharmaceutical Engineering of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China.
Ruobing LiuCollege of Pharmaceutical Engineering of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China.
Ding LuCollege of Pharmaceutical Engineering of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China.
Tenglong MaCollege of Pharmaceutical Engineering of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China.
Heshui YuCollege of Pharmaceutical Engineering of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China.

Funding

Innovation Team and Talents Cultivation Program of National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine ZYYCXTD-D-202002the Anhui Tiancien Biotechnology Co., Ltd. 20501/KH2185the Henan Liwei Biological Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. 20501/KH2145the Science and Technology Project of Haihe Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine 22HHZYSS00003
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

In chronic infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus, biofilm is a major virulence factor. In Staphylococcus aureus biofilms, bacteria are embedded in a matrix of extracellular polymeric substances and are highly tolerant to antimicrobial drugs. However, the lack of effective solutions to inhibit biofilm formation remains a challenge, and the mechanism of inhibition of biofilm formation targeting extracellular polymeric substances is unclear. The aim of the present study was to investigate the inhibitory mechanisms of Plumbagin against Staphylococcus aureus biofilms formation by affecting secretion of extracellular polymeric substances using the high-content screening. Our results showed Plumbagin (16 µg/mL) inhibited biofilm formation, revealing a significant reduction in both biomass and bacterial metabolic activity, and disrupted the biofilm structure, leading to a significant decrease in both biological volume and average thickness (P ≤ 0.01). High-content screening imaging indicated that the Plumbagin treatment induced alterations in the extracellular polymeric substances of Staphylococcus aureus biofilm, significantly reducing the quantities of extracellular polysaccharide, proteins and extracellular DNA. Interestingly, extracellular DNA within the matrix was found to be the most sensitive to Plumbagin treatment. Extracellular DNA formation was significantly inhibited at a concentration of 4 µg/mL, whereas the inhibition of extracellular polysaccharide and proteins required a higher concentration of 8 µg/mL. Overall, these results demonstrated the inhibitory effects of Plumbagin on Staphylococcus aureus biofilm formation and extracellular polymeric substances secretion, suggesting that extracellular DNA may be a potential target for the anti-biofilm activity of Plumbagin. These findings will provide new insights into the mode of action of Plumbagin in treating infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus biofilms.

Indexed as

Anti-Bacterial AgentsBiofilmsNaphthoquinonesStaphylococcus aureusExtracellular Polymeric Substance MatrixMicrobial Sensitivity TestsStaphylococcal InfectionsAnti-Bacterial AgentsNaphthoquinonesplumbaginBiofilmExtracellular polymeric substanceHigh-content screeningPlumbaginStaphylococcus aureus

Identifiers

PMID40055436
PMCPMC11889106

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.