Antibacterial Activity and Mechanism of Coenzyme Q0 Against Escherichia coli

Coenzyme Q(0) (CoQ(0)) is a natural compound found in Antrodia cinnamomea, which has a variety of biological activities. Here, the antibacterial activity and possible antibacterial mechanism of CoQ(0) against Escherichia coli were investigated. The antibacterial effect was evaluated by determining minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values, and by assessing bacterial survival and the effect on the growth of E. coli after CoQ(0) treatment in Luria-Bertani (LB) broth. To reveal the antibacterial mechanism of CoQ(0), changes in intracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) concentration, membrane potential, and bacterial protein content, as well as effects on cell morphology and membrane integrity, were investigated. Both the MICs and MBCs of CoQ(0) against E. coli were 0.1 mg/mL. After treatment of E. coli (6.5 log colony-forming units/mL) with 0.1 mg/mL of CoQ(0) in LB broth for 3 h, the number of viable cells dropped below the detection limit. In addition, CoQ(0) treatment resulted in the reduction in intracellular ATP concentration, cell membrane hyperpolarization, decreased bacterial protein concentrations, and damage to cell membrane integrity and cellular morphology. These results indicated that CoQ(0) has effective antibacterial activity against E. coli, suggesting potential applications in food industry safety.

Automated summary

The study demonstrated that Coenzyme Q(0) exhibited effective antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli by reducing intracellular ATP concentration, affecting membrane potential, protein content, as well as cell morphology and membrane integrity. These findings suggest potential applications in food industry safety.