Integrated in vitro and in silico evaluation of the antibiofilm activity of Artemisia dracunculus L. against Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Abstract

This study investigated the antibiofilm and antibacterial potential of Artemisia dracunculus L. extract through integrated in vitro and in silico approaches. Antibacterial activity was evaluated using the disc diffusion method against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis, and Bacillus licheniformis while antibiofilm activity was determined by crystal violet assay. The extract exhibited promising antibiofilm activity at the tested concentration against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In terms of antibacterial activity, the strongest effect was detected against the Gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis, with an inhibition zone diameter of 9.95±0.45 mm. To explore the possible molecular basis of these effects, chlorogenic acid and kaempferol were subjected to molecular docking analyses against LasR (transcriptional regulator) and anthranilate–coenzyme A ligase (PqsA). Chlorogenic acid and kaempferol showed favorable binding affinities, with docking scores ranging from -7.27 to –9.23 kcal/mol, indicating strong interactions with the active sites of both proteins. Overall, the results demonstrate that Artemisia dracunculus represents a promising natural source of bioactive compounds for controlling biofilm-associated infections. Further studies involving compound isolation, mechanistic confirmation, and in vivo validation are recommended.