Antimicrobial activity of nobiletin and tangeretin against Pseudomonas

The inhibitory activities of two polymethoxylated flavone (PMFs) monomers (nobiletin and tangeretin) have been investigated against Pseudomonas fluorescens and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in vitro. The effects on cell morphology, the release of cell constituents, the synthesis of proteins and the activities of key dehydrogenase were examined to elucidate their antibacterial mechanism. The concentration of transaminase and reducing sugar in bacterial solutions increased significantly when treated with nobiletin and tangeretin. Electron microscopy showed that the structure of the bacterial cells was destroyed and accompanied with induced cells plasmolysis. Nobiletin and tangeretin also inhibited the activities of succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) and malate dehydrogenase (MDH), and reduced proteins synthesis in bacterial cells. It is proposed that nobiletin and tangeretin destroyed the permeability of the cell membrane, with release of the cell constituents, leading to metabolic dysfunction, inhibition of protein synthesis, and eventually to cell pyknosis and death.