Purpose: To identify potential antibacterial protein targets following exposure to
Melastoma candidum
extract.
Methods: Plant extracts were prepared using sequential extraction method. Denaturing gel electrophoresis and MALDI TOF-TOF MS protein sequencing were used to identify differential- expressed bacterial proteins. 96-well microplate method was used to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values. Thin layer chromatography (TLC) bio-autobiography and gas- chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) were performed to determine the phytochemicals in the active fraction.
Results: Five differentially expressed bacterial proteins (four from
Escherichia coli
and one from
Staphylococcus aureus
), were identified via proteomic approach. Among the bacterial proteins identified, glutamate decarboxylase, elongation factor-Tu and α-hemolysin are especially noteworthy, as they are implicated in critical bacterial pathways pertaining to survival in acidic environment, protein translation and virulence, respectively. Additionally, we tested and reported the minimum inhibition concentrations of different
M. candidum fractions and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry GC-MS analysis of the active fraction.
Conclusion: Glutamate decarboxylase, elongation factor-Tu and α-hemolysin represent potential antibacterial targets.
