Aim: The efficacy of a pyochelin–zingerone conjugate (PZC) against Pseudomonas aeruginosa in vivo in a mouse model of peritonitis, as well as mode of action in vitro, were investigated. Methods & results: Intraperitoneal administration of PZC (220 mg kg^-1 b.wt.) resulted in a significant reduction in bacterial count in liver tissue by 2 log₁₀ on the 4th day post infection. This was supported by reduced levels of inflammatory markers, liver function, inflammatory cytokines and improved histopathology. PZC showed its ability to disrupt the cellular membrane, increase permeability of the membrane and leakage of intracellular contents of P. aeruginosa, resulting in its death. Conclusion: The present study reports the hepatoprotective potential of PZC in an experimental model of P. aeruginosa-induced peritonitis.

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Vol. 18, No. 18

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History

Received 26 January 2023

Accepted 14 July 2023

Published online 14 November 2023

Published in print December 2023

Information

Keywords

Author contributions

S Mangal: study design, methodology, software, data analysis, execution, writing draft, review and editing. N Ranot: methodology, software. A Nosran: chemical synthesis of the conjugate. V Singh: data analysis, editing and supervision. S Chhibber: formal analysis, editing and supervision involved in study design and execution. K Harjai: conceptualization, supervision, editing and data curation involved in study.

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Barbara H Iglewski for providing standard strain PAO1 of P. aeruginosa.

Financial & competing interest disclosure

This study was supported by the Science and Engineering Research Board (grant/award no. EMR/2017/003098). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Ethical conduct of research

Institutional Animal Ethics Committee of Panjab University, Chandigarh, India, granted approval for the experiment's ethical clearance (approval number PU/45/99/CPCSEA/IAEC/2021/615). All the experimental protocols were followed according to the guidelines of the Committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals (CPCSEA), Government of India.

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