Antibacterial Action of Curcumin against Staphylococcus aureus: A Brief Review

Figure 2

The potential mechanisms underlying the antibacterial effect of curcumin against S. aureus. Circle-shaped arrow indicates binding whereas blocked arrow represents inhibition. (a) Curcumin may bind into FtsZ proteins, thereby inhibiting the assembly of FtsZ protofilaments. This, in turn, suppresses the formation of Z-ring leading to inhibition of cytokinesis and bacterial proliferation [44]. (b) In the case of MRSA, curcumin could inhibit the mecA gene transcription, causing reduced expression of PBP2α proteins. As a result, MRSA can be sensitized towards the antibacterial action of β-lactam antibiotics such as Penicillin and Methicillin [32]. (c) The binding between curcumin and peptidoglycan on S. aureus cell wall could trigger damage on the cell wall and membrane, leading to cell lysis of S. aureus [30, 32].