Antimicrobial and Antibiofilm Activities of Abietic Acid against Skin-Associated Opportunistic Microorganisms
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: IntroductionAbietic acid, derived from Pinus sp.(Pinaceae), is a naturally occurring organic acid and abietane diterpene composed of four isoprene units [1,2].Abietic acid has been reported to exhibit various biological and pharmacological effects, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antifungal activities [3][4][5][6][7].Moreover, abietic acid and its derivatives, particularly those with high antioxidant activity, have garnered significant research interest due to their potential therapeutic applications as anti-ulcer, anti-allergy, and anticancer agents, and in the treatment of cardiovascular disease [5,[8][9][10][11][12][13][14].Abietic acid has been extensively investigated in various biological fields and has demonstrated beneficial effects in several skin-related conditions.In mouse models, it has been shown to accelerate cutaneous wound healing by promoting angiogenesis [15,16], ameliorate psoriasis-like skin inflammation, inhibit paw edema, and exert preventive effects against skin cancer [5,17,18].These findings suggest that abietic acid may be relevant to skin-related applications.However, the increasing prevalence of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms presents a major public health challenge and complicates the management of skin and soft tissue infections.Biofilm formation by opportunistic pathogens, such as Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, is a key factor contributing to treatment failure, persistence, and recurrence of infections due to increased tolerance to conventional antibiotics.Developing agents capable of inhibiting microbial growth and biofilm formation is therefore of considerable interest.Skin and soft tissue infections are commonly caused not only by resident skin microbiota but also by opportunistic microorganisms originating from environmental or endogenous sources.In clinical settings, S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and Candida albicans are frequently isolated from wound, burn, and skin and soft tissue infections, particularly in compromised or inflamed skin environments [19,20].Previous studies have investigated the antimicrobial activity of abietic acid against microorganisms Skin infections caused by bacterial and fungal microorganisms pose significant global health challenges and are often exacerbated by biofilm formation and increasing antimicrobial resistance.This study investigated the antimicrobial and effects on biofilm biomass of abietic acid, isolated from pine rosin, against key skin-associated opportunistic microorganisms.The antimicrobial activity of abietic acid against Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and Candida albicans was evaluated using disc diffusion, broth microdilution, and time-dependent growth inhibition assays.Abietic acid produced measurable growth inhibitory zones against all tested microorganisms and exhibited minimum inhibitory concentrations as low as 16 μg/ml.Time-dependent OD 600 measurements demonstrated concentration-dependent inhibition of microbial growth.In addition, abietic acid treatment resulted in a significant reduction in biofilm biomass across all tested microorganisms.These findings suggest that abietic acid exhibits antimicrobial activity and reduces biofilm biomass in vitro against clinically relevant opportunistic microorganisms and may warrant further investigation for potential applications related to skin and soft tissue infections.
Authors: Jumin Park, Heeseob Lee
Institution: Pusan National University
Language: English
Subfield: Molecular Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W7131628086