ArticleApplied microbiology and biotechnology2025
Atomic force microscopy reveals antibacterial mechanisms of Hermetia illucens fatty acids against MDR bacteria.
Article in Applied microbiology and biotechnology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
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.
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.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Optimization of Litsea cubeba ethanol extract and its antibacterial mechanism against Staphylococcus aureus.Scientific reports · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Acinetobacter baumannii and Staphylococcus aureus are major multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens frequently associated with healthcare-acquired infections. The emergence of antimicrobial resistance underscores the urgent need for alternative therapeutics. This study explores the antimicrobial potential of fatty acids (FAs) extracted from Hermetia illucens (HI) larvae fat (AWME3) against MDR strains A. baumannii ATCC 19606 and S. aureus ATCC 55804. AWME3 exhibited potent inhibitory effects, with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 0.38 mg/mL for A. baumannii and 0.19 mg/mL for S. aureus. Bactericidal activity occurred within 5-10 min at 0.75 mg/mL. Broth microdilution and propidium iodide uptake assays manifested FA-induced membrane permeabilization (55-70%) within 5 min, supporting a rapid membrane-targeting mechanism. Disruption of membrane integrity was accompanied by significant intracellular ATP depletion, cytoplasmic protein leakage, and altered cellular ultrastructure. AFM imaging showed significant morphological damage, with increased cell surface roughness in both bacterial strains. A. baumannii showed a significant height reduction (51-80%), while S. aureus had a reduction of 26-38% after exposure to 1 × MIC and 2 × MIC. AFM visualizations indicated severe cell envelope damage, including pore formation, blebbing, and surface collapse, consistent with membrane lysis. These findings reveal the swift and membrane-disrupting effects of AWME3 fatty acids on MDR nosocomial pathogens, underscoring their potential as a natural antimicrobial agent. KEY POINTS: • Fatty acids from H. illucens fat show strong activity against MDR pathogens. • Rapid bactericidal effect via membrane disruption and cytoplasmic leakage. • AFM reveals nanoscale cell damage confirming membranolytic action.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.