Antimicrobial effects of violacein against planktonic cells and biofilms of Staphylococcus aureus

Abstract

Violacein is an indole compound, produced by Chromobacterium violaceum, a bacteria present in tropical and subtropical areas. Among its numerous biological activities, its antimicrobial potential stands out. This study aims to determine the antimicrobial activity of VIO on S. aureus in planktonic culture and biofilms. VIO showed excellent antimicrobial activity in inhibiting and killing S. aureus in planktonic cultures and biofilm formation. The minimum bactericidal concentration (5 g/mL) of VIO caused the death of S. aureus after 3–4 h of exposure and the minimum inhibitory concentration (1.25 g/mL) of VIO inhibited bacterial growth within the first 8 h of contact. Biofilm formation was also strongly inhibited by VIO (1.25 g/mL), in contrast to the higher resistance verified for S. aureus in mature biofilm (40 g/mL). The high bacterial metabolic activity favored VIO activity; however, the good activity observed during phases of reduced metabolism indicates that VIO action involves more than one mechanism. Thus, VIO is a promising molecule for the development of an antimicrobial drug for the eradication of S. aureus infections.