Curcumin and Hispolon as Potential Antibacterial Agents

Antibiotic resistant bacteria are becoming an increasing threat worldwide, particularly in the healthcare setting. This has led researchers and healthcare providers to begin looking elsewhere for solutions. Research suggests that curcumin, a phenolic compound from the spice turmeric, has antibacterial properties that may be able to treat potentially life-threatening hospital infections, such as those caused by Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Turmeric has been used in Asian medicine for thousands of years as a general antimicrobial. Curcumin was utilized in this study, along with hispolon, another phenolic compound isolated from various mushrooms, such as Inonotus hispidus and Phellinus linteus, a medicinal mushroom. There is less prior data on hispolon as an antibacterial agent, but it has been found to be a potentially effective antiviral and antitumor treatment. Promising research done so far with hispolon as an antitubercular drug suggests that it may have some antibacterial properties as well. In this study, curcumin and hispolon mono methylether (HME) were tested on Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, and Mycobacterium smegmatis. The results obtained through colony forming unit assays, % inhibition calculations, biofilm assays, and growth curves suggest that HME has significant antibacterial effects on all of the microorganisms used except for E. faecalis, while curcumin has moderate antibacterial effects on all but M. smegmatis.