Benzyl isothiocyanate as an alternative to antibiotics? a comparative in vivo study using Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection as a model

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 19; no. 5; p. e0303490
• Main Authors: Yang, Jian, Hediyal, Tousif Ahmed, Chidambaram, Saravana Babu, Kaul-Ghanekar, Ruchika, Sakharkar, Meena Kishore
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 16-05-2024; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Analysis; Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; Anti-Bacterial Agents - therapeutic use; Antibiotics; Antimicrobial activity; Antimicrobial agents; Antimicrobial resistance; Bacterial infections; Biocompatibility; Biology and Life Sciences; Disease Models, Animal; Drug resistance in microorganisms; Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid; Female; Gentamicin; Health aspects; Immune system; In vivo methods and tests; Infection; Infections; Inflammation; Isothiocyanate; Isothiocyanates - pharmacology; Medical research; Medicine and Health Sciences; Medicine, Experimental; Metabolites; Methicillin; Mice; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Physical Sciences; Phytochemicals; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Pseudomonas aeruginosa - drug effects; Pseudomonas Infections - drug therapy; Pseudomonas Infections - microbiology; Research and Analysis Methods; Skin; Sulfates; Toxicity; India
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0303490

Due to over-prescription of antibiotics, antimicrobial resistance has emerged to be a critical concern globally. Many countries have tightened the control of antibiotic usage, which, in turn, promotes the search for alternatives to antibiotics. Quite a few phytochemicals have been investigated. Benzyl isothiocyanate (BITC) is an important secondary metabolite in cruciferous species and exhibited potent antimicrobial activity under in vitro conditions. In this research, we undertook a comparative mouse model study of BITC with gentamycin sulfate (positive antibiotic control) and ceftiofur hydrochloride (negative antibiotic control) against Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection. Our results showed that BITC exhibited comparable or better antimicrobial activity and lower infiltration of mouse immune cells upon comparing to gentamycin sulfate. Furthermore, BITC did not impose any toxicity to the air pouch skin tissues. In summary, our current study suggests that BITC could be an alternative to antibiotics and deserves further in vivo and clinical trial studies.