Quorum sensing (QS) is a regulatory mechanism that enables bacteria to make collective decisions such as an increase in virulence factors and biofilm production. Inhibitors of QS are important research tools in the discovery of new potential anti-bacterial agents. Polygodial, drimenol and drimendiol are drimane sesquiterpenoids isolated from Drimys winteri, a Chilean native tree. Their QS activity, when tested on Chromobacterium violaceum ATCC 12472, showed that drimendiol is an inhibitor of QS, decreasing violaceine production in C. violaceum and decreasing biofilm formation of Pseudomonas syringae strains. Consequently it increased the biocide effects of CuSO4 on biofilms of P. syringae.
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