Research Article | Open Access
Keziah Amor D. Salcedo-Catulong and Alfredo A. Hinay Jr
Graduate School Department, University of the Immaculate Conception, Davao City, Philippines.
Article Number: 11380 | © The Author(s). 2026
J Pure Appl Microbiol. 2026;20(2):1810-1818. https://doi.org/10.22207/JPAM.20.2.70
Received: 28 January 2026 | Accepted: 07 May 2026 | Published online: 05 June 2026
Issue online: June 2026
Abstract

Methicillin-resistance in Staphylococcus aureus is frequently associated with enhanced biofilm formation and the presence of biofilm-associated genes that contribute to treatment failure and persistence. This study characterized the phenotypic biofilm formation and genotypic profiles of 10 clinical methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates and evaluated the dose-dependent antibiofilm activity of the ethanolic extract of oregano (Plectranthus amboinicus). All isolates carried mecA, confirming methicillin resistance in all isolates. The biofilm-associated genes icaA, icaD, and sarA were detected, whereas bap was absent. Despite the absence of bap, all isolates exhibited moderate to strong biofilm formation, consistent with ica-dependent polysaccharide-mediated adhesion. Based on PCR-based detection of the agrII gene (presence/absence), the isolates were classified into agrII-positive (n = 5) and agrII-negative (n = 5) groups. Biofilm formation was predominantly moderate (0.140 < OD < 0.280), with two isolates showing strong biofilm formation (OD > 0.280). Extract dilutions (100%-3.125% v/v) were tested using a modified crystal violet assay. The agrII-positive isolates exhibited significantly lower biofilm inhibition (12.9% ± 7.4%) than agrII-negative isolates (33.0% ± 1.2%) at 100% v/v (P = 0.003). Nonlinear regression using a four-parameter log-logistic model generated distinct dose-response curves, with 95% confidence bands exhibiting minimal overlap (12.5%-100%). These findings suggest a potential association between agrII status and differential biofilm susceptibility to P. amboinicus extract. However, given the limited sample size and in vitro design, these results should be interpreted with caution. Overall, this study highlights the potential of P. amboinicus as an antibiofilm agent and supports further investigation of genotype-informed strategies against MRSA.

Keywords

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Biofilm-associated Genes, Oregano Plant Extract, Antibiofilm Activity

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© The Author(s) 2026. Open Access. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License which permits unrestricted use, sharing, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made.