English (United Kingdom)

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/featured_content/oa?rat=en

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/highlighted_journal/

Global: Zendy Plus annual

Presents the access of premium content as premium feature

Premium Content

Presents the keyphrase highlighting as premium feature

Keyphrase Highlighting

Presents the summarisation as premium feature

Summarisation

Insights

Presents the pdf analysis as premium feature

PDF Analysis

Presents the zaia usage as premium feature

ZAIA

Global: Zendy Tools annual

Global: Zendy Free Plan

Global: Zendy Tools monthly

Global: Zendy Plus monthly

Gum arabic (GA) is a traditional herbal medicine from  Acacia Senegal  (L.) Willdenow trees, which consist of a complex mixture of polysaccharides and glycoproteins. It is used in daily applications for several diseases and is considered to protect against bacterial infections. The detailed mechanisms behind these observations are still unclear. In this study, we investigated the direct antibacterial activity of GA water and ethanol extracts against  Staphylococcus  ( S .)  aureus  or  Escherichia  ( E .)  coli  and the immunomodulating properties of those extracts on granulocytes as a first line of defense against bacteria. Firstly, the direct antimicrobial effect of GA was tested on three different  S. aureus  strains and two  E. coli  strains. The growth of bacteria was analyzed in the presence of different GA concentrations over time. GA water as well as ethanol extracts showed a significant growth inhibition in a concentration-dependent manner in the case of  S. aureus  Newman,  S. aureus  Rd5, and  E. coli  25922, but not in the case of  S .  aureus  USA300 and  E. coli  K1. Transmission electron microscopic analysis confirmed an antibacterial effect of GA on the bacteria. Secondly, the immunomodulatory effect of GA on the antimicrobial activity of bovine or human blood-derived granulocytes was evaluated. Interestingly, water and ethanol extracts enhanced antimicrobial activity of granulocytes by the induction of intracellular ROS production. In line with these data, GA increased the phagocytosis rate of  E. coli . No effect was seen on neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation that mediates killing of extracellular bacteria such as  S. aureus . In conclusion, we show that GA exhibits a direct antibacterial effect against some  S. aureus  and  E. coli  strains. Furthermore, GA boosts the antimicrobial activities of granulocytes and increases intracellular ROS production, which may lead to more phagocytosis and intracellular killing. These data might explain the described putative antimicrobial activity of GA used in traditional medicine.

Antimicrobial and Immunomodulatory Effect of Gum Arabic on Human and Bovine Granulocytes Against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli