Ginseng aqueous extract attenuates the production of virulence factors, stimulates twitching and adhesion, and eradicates biofilms of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

This study was carried out to examine the antimicrobial activity of the aqueous extract of Panax quinquefolius from North American ginseng (NAGE) root against Pseudomonas aeruginosa . The minimum inhibitory concentrations of reference and clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa were measured by a standard agar-dilution method. At subinhibitory NAGE concentrations, the secretion of virulence factors, motility on agar, and adhesion to 96-well microplates were studied on the nonmucoid Pseudomonas aeruginosa O1 strain. At suprainhibitory concentrations, the activity of NAGE against mature biofilm complexes formed in the Calgary Biofilm Device and the Stovall flow cell were assessed. NAGE possessed an antibacterial activity against all the Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains at 1.25%-2.5% w/v. NAGE also significantly attenuated pyocyanin, pyoverdine, and lipase concentrations, stimulated twitching, and attenuated swarming and swimming motility. At 1.25% w/v, NAGE augmented adhesion, and at 5% w/v detached 1-day-old biofilms in microplates. The extract also eradicated 6-day-old mature biofilms (5% w/v), and fluorescence microscopy displayed a reduction of live cells and biofilm complexes compared with nontreated biofilms. These data suggest that the aqueous extract from North American ginseng possesses antimicrobial activities in vitro.