Inhibition of pathogenic bacterial adhesion by acidic polysaccharide from green tea (Camellia sinensis)

An acidic polysaccharide CS-F2 from Camellia sinensis was examined to characterize its anti-adhesive effects against pathogenic bacteria, most notably Helicobacter pylori, Propionibacterium acnes, and Staphylococcus aureus. CS-F2 showed marked inhibitory activity against the pathogen-mediated hemagglutination with a minimum inhibitory concentration ( MIC) between 0.01 and 0.1 mg/mL, which is lower than the previously reported MIC values for Panax ginseng and Artemisia capillaris. The inhibitory effects of CS-F2 on the adhesion of H. pylori to AGS adenocarcinoma gastric epithelial cells, or P. acnes and S. aureus to NIH 3T3 fibroblast cells, were further assessed resulting in MIC values between 0.063 and 0.13 mg/mL. Importantly, CS-F2 showed no inhibitory effects against Lactobacillus acidophilus, Escherichia coli, or Staphylococcus epidermidis. Our results suggest that CS-F2, which is a pectin-type polysaccharide with a molecular weight of approximately 8.0 x 10(4) Da, may exert a selective anti-adhesive effect against certain pathogenic bacteria, while exerting no effects against beneficial and commensal bacteria.