Effects of Curcumin on Biofilm Production and Associated Gene in Multidrug-Resistant <i>Acinetobacter baumannii</i> Isolated from Hospitalized Patients.

Multi-drug-resistant (MDR) <i>Acinetobacter</i> <i>baumannii</i> has become a major global healthcare concern due to its opportunistic infections and high antibiotic resistance. This investigation is intended to investigate curcumin's potential anti-bacterial and antibiofilm impacts on MDR <i>A</i>. <i>baumannii</i> and to present a promising strategy for fighting against infections caused by this pathogen. This cross-sectional investigation comprised 34 MDR <i>A</i>. <i>baumannii</i> clinical isolates. The Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method evaluated the sensitivity of isolates to multifaceted anti-bacterial agents. The microdilution broth method quantified curcumin's minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC). The efficacy of curcumin in inhibiting MDR <i>A</i>. <i>baumannii</i> biofilm was assessed via 96-well microtiter plates. The expression of the biofilm-associated protein (<i>bap</i>) gene was evaluated by employing quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Within the 34 MDR <i>A</i>. <i>baumannii</i> isolates, the highest resistance was noted for trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole and ciprofloxacin, with all 34 isolates (100%) indicating resistance. The lowest resistance was noted for ampicillin/sulbactam, with 22 isolates (64.7%) exhibiting resistance. The MICs of curcumin ranged from 0.625 to 2.5 mg/ml, while the MBCs varied between 1.25 to 5 mg/ml. Curcumin reduced biofilm formation by 25% to 91%, depending on the concentration. In contrast to the untreated control, the average relative activity of the <i>bap</i> gene in MDR <i>A. baumannii</i> isolates declined by 62.07%. The findings indicate that curcumin demonstrates antimicrobial and anti-biofilm activities against MDR <i>A</i>. <i>baumannii</i>. The downregulation noted in the <i>bap</i> gene further supports the curcumin's anti-biofilm impact.