Exploration of New Drug Candidate Derived from Antioxidants of Korean Native Halophytes: Control of Acinetobacter baumannii with Antipathogenic Activity

The rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria poses a significant challenge to the treatment of bacterial infections, necessitating the development of novel antibiotics or strategies to preserve the efficacy of existing ones. This study investigates the role of oxidative stress modulation in the pathogenicity of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial strains, aiming to identify potential avenues for new drug design. Specifically, the anti-biofilm effects of crude extracts and fractions from seven halophyte species native to Jeju Island, South Korea, were evaluated against <i>Acinetobacter baumannii</i> ATCC 17978. Notably, the 85% aqueous methanol fraction of <i>Peucedanum japonicum</i> Thunb. (<i>Pj</i>) and the <i>n</i>-hexane fraction of <i>Lysimachia mauritiana</i> Lam. (<i>Lm</i>) demonstrated significant anti-biofilm activity. Further assessments revealed that these fractions also exhibited notable antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, with the <i>Pj</i> fraction showing a lifespan extension effect in the <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i> model. These findings suggest that <i>Pj</i> and <i>Lm</i> hold promise as potential candidates for the development of new therapeutic agents targeting MDR bacteria.