<p dir="ltr"><i>Escherichia coli </i>(<i>E. coli</i>) O157:H7 is a severe foodborne pathogen whose biofilm formation enhances bacterial virulence and reduces antibiotic susceptibility, often leading to the failure of traditional antibiotic treatments and posing a significant threat to human and animal health. This study utilised a constructed LuxS-eGFP reporter strain to screen for Isoferulic Acid (IFA) targeting the <a href="" target="_blank">LuxS/AI-2 quorum</a> sensing system (QS), revealing that IFA can inhibit the biofilm formation of <i>E. coli </i>and enhance antibiotic susceptibility. The experimental results indicate that IFA effectively inhibit the biofilm formation of <i>E. coli</i> without affecting bacterial growth and metabolic activity, and also demonstrate a clearance effect on mature biofilms. Building on these findings, we developed a strategy combining IFA with antibiotics, which significantly enhanced the antibacterial efficacy of sodium fosfomycin against <i>E. coli</i> both in vitro and in vivo. These findings confirm that IFA exhibits significant antibiofilm activity and novel synergistic antibacterial effects, providing a potential new strategy for treating <i>E. coli </i>infections.</p>
Funding
The Natural Science Foundation of Hebei Province (No: C2023402003 and C2024402032)