Abstract
Syringa oblata Lindl. (S. oblata) is a medicinal plant with effective broad-spectrum antibacterial activity, which can also inhibit Streptococcus suis biofilm formation. The processing of herbal medicine can purify medicinal materials, provide acceptable taste, reduce toxicity, enhance efficacy, influence performance and facilitate preparation. Thus, the aim of this study was to enhance the biofilm inhibition activity of S. oblata toward Staphylococcus xylosus (S. xylosus) using the best processing method. The content of rutin and flavonoids and the ability to inhibit the biofilm formation by S. oblata were examined using four processing methods. One of the best methods, the process of stir-frying S. oblata with vinegar, was optimized based on the best rutin content by response surface methodology. The histidine content and hisB gene expression of S. xylosus biofilm in vitro, resulting from stir-frying S. oblata with vinegar, were evaluated and were found to be significantly decreased and down-regulated, respectively. The results show that S. oblata stir-fried with vinegar can be used to effectively treat diseases resulting from S. xylosus infection. This is because it significantly inhibited S. xylosus biofilm formation by interfering with the biosynthesis of histidine; thus, its mechanism of action is decreasing histidine synthesis.