Platanosides, a Promising Class of Plant-Derived Antibiotics, Are Effective against a Suite of Clinically Derived MDR and Drug-Sensitive Staph and Strep spp

Authors

• Cody F Dickinson
• Menny M Benjamin
• Ahmed Alford
• Hope L Moreno
• Geehan Suleyman, Henry Ford HealthFollow
• Maryssa Trupiano, Henry Ford HealthFollow
• Britney Aldrich, Henry Ford Health
• Frederick A. Valeriote, Henry Ford HealthFollow
• Nicolas Arosemena
• Lucas Bialousow
• Ron Benjamin
• Zhi Zhong
• Marcus A Tius
• Yeun-Mun Choo
• John J Lemasters
• Mark T Hamann

Recommended Citation

Dickinson CF, Benjamin MM, Alford A, Moreno HL, Suleyman G, Trupiano M, Aldrich B, Valeriote FA, Arosemena N, Bialousow L, Benjamin R, Zhong Z, Tius MA, Choo YM, Lemasters JJ, Hamann MT. Platanosides, a Promising Class of Plant-Derived Antibiotics, Are Effective against a Suite of Clinically Derived Mdr and Drug-Sensitive Staph and Strep Spp. ACS Infect Dis. 2026;12(8):2642-2649.

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

8-14-2026

Publication Title

ACS Infect Dis

Keywords

Anti-Bacterial Agents, Microbial Sensitivity Tests, Streptococcus, Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial, Humans, Plant Extracts, Staphylococcus, Staphylococcus aureus

Abstract

Systemic multidrug-resistant bacterial infections have become a global public health priority due to the diminished efficacy of standard antibiotic regimens and can lead to sepsis, which is among the leading causes of death (11 million/year) and years of lost life worldwide. We report an effective and well-defined antibiotic equimolar mixture of the platanosides 1-4 that is as effective as its constituent parts and is active against multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus and Streptococcus spp. The platanosides can be easily and inexpensively manufactured in good purity from sycamore tree (Platanus spp.) leaves, making them a viable option as a drug to control multidrug-resistant infections in low- and middle-income countries. The platanosides 1-4 exhibited activity against clinically derived Staphylococcus aureus (methicillin-resistant, vancomycin-resistant, and vancomycin-intermediate) with minimal inhibitory concentration values of 0.5-16 μg/mL. The minimal inhibitory concentration values against clinically derived Streptococcus spp. were 2, 1, 0.06, and 1 μg/mL against Streptococcus mitis, Streptococcus paramsanginis, Streptococcus gordonii, and Streptococcus pneumoniae, respectively. Time-kill studies of the platanosides are reported. The proposed molecular targets and unique polypharmacology of the platanosides 1-4 are also discussed.

Medical Subject Headings

Anti-Bacterial Agents; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Streptococcus; Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; Humans; Plant Extracts; Staphylococcus; Staphylococcus aureus

PubMed ID

42467854

ePublication

ePub ahead of print

Volume

12

Issue

8

First Page

2642

Last Page

2649