Lipid Flip-Flop-Inducing Antimicrobial Phytochemicals from Gymnema sylvestre are Bacterial Membrane Permeability Enhancers

[Image: see text] An amphiphilic phytochemical fraction isolated from methanol extract of Gymnema sylvestre leaf powder contained six terpenoids, two flavonoids, and one alkaloid that induced rapid flip-flop of fluorescent phospholipid analog in the phosphatidyl choline bilayer. Lipid-flipping activity of the methanol-extracted fraction of G. sylvestre (MEFGS) was dose-dependent and time-dependent with a rate constant k = (12.09 ± 0.94) mg(–1) min(–1) that was saturable at (40 ± 1) % flipping of the fluorescent lipid analogue. Interactions of MEFGS phytochemicals with large unilamelar vesicles led to time-dependent change in their rounded morphology into irregular shapes, indicating their membrane-destabilizing activity. MEFGS exhibited antibacterial activity on Escherichia coli (MTCC-118), Staphylococcus aureus (MTCC-212), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MTCC-1035) with IC(50) values 0.5, 0.35, and 0.1 mg/mL, respectively. Phytochemicals in MEFGS increased membrane permeabilization in all three bacteria, as indicated by 23, 17, and 17% increase in the uptake of crystal violet, respectively. MEFGS enhanced membrane damage, resulting in a 3–5 fold increase in leakage of cytosolic ions, 0.5–2 fold increase in leakage of PO(4)(–), and 15–20% increase in loss of cellular proteins. MEFGS synergistically increased the efficacy of curcumin, amoxillin, ampicillin, and cefotaxime on S. aureus probably by enhancing their permeability into the bacterium. For the first time, our study reveals that phytochemicals from G. sylvestre enhance the permeability of the bacterial plasma membrane by facilitating flip-flop of membrane lipids. Lipid-flipping phytochemicals from G. sylvestre can be used as adjuvant therapeutics to enhance the efficacy of antibacterials by increasing their bioavailability in the target bacteria.