Evaluation of Antibacterial Activity in Some Algerian Essential Oils and Selection of Thymus vulgaris as a Potential Biofilm and Quorum Sensing Inhibitor Against Pseudomonas aeruginosa

ABSTRACT

Biofilm formation and virulence factor production by Pseudomonas aeruginosa are identified as the main mechanisms of its antibiotic resistance and pathogenicity. In this context, the study of the chemical composition of three Algerian essential oils (EOs) and the screening of their antibacterial, antibiofilm, and virulence factor inhibitory activities enabled us to select the thyme EO as the best oil to control the P. aeruginosa strain isolated from hospital environments. This EO, composed essentially of thymol (55.82%) associated with carvacrol, had an anti‐adhesive activity of 69.8% at a concentration of 5 µL/mL and a biofilm eradication activity of 74.86% at a concentration of 2.5 µL/mL. In addition, this EO was able to inhibit P. aeruginosa twitching motility by 100% at a concentration of 2.5 µL/mL. Pyocyanin was inhibited by 99.33% at a thyme EO concentration of 1.25 µL/mL. Rhamnolipids were significantly inhibited by 63.33% in the presence of thyme EO at a concentration of 1.25 µL/mL after 24 h of incubation. Molecular docking showed that carvacrol and thymol can bind to the three quorum sensing receptors in P. aeruginosa, RhlR, LasR, and PqsR, with good affinities, which can inhibit or modulate biofilm formation and the production of certain virulence factors.