Naringenin Antagonizes the Invasive Potential of Salmonella Typhimurium LT2

Salmonella Typhimurium is a major cause of gastroenteritis. In past years several outbreaks of Salmonella infections were recorded including as recent as 2008-2009. Salmonella infections have become a great economic burden on the society. Moreover, with the rise of antibiotic-resistant strains, it has become imperative to look for new class of antimicrobials. Flavonoids are ubiquitous in plants and comprise significant part of vegetable/fruit based diet. Citrus flavonoids have been implicated in alleviating several chronic diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease and neurodegenerative diseases. During our investigations with citrus flavonoids, naringenin demonstrated antagonistic potential against quorum sensing and biofilm in Vibrio harveyi and E. coli O157:H. In the present investigation, impact of naringenin on Salmonella Typhimurium LT2, a notorious food borne pathogen was evaluated. Biofilm, motility, adhesion and invasion potential of S. Typhimurium upon exposure of naringenin were measured. The adhesion and invasion assays were carried out using colonic adenocarcinoma cells SW480. The results indicated that naringenin treatment reduces the motility and the ability of Salmonella Typhimurium to attach and internalize into the epithelial cells. The data suggest that consumption of grapefruit may help in prevention against Salmonella Typhimurium infection.