Evaluation of Flavonoid and Resveratrol Chemical Libraries Reveals Abyssinone II as a Promising Antibacterial Lead

Lead on! In the course of screening flavonoid and resveratrol libraries, abyssinone II, a naturally occurring prenylated flavonoid, was found to exhibit relatively good antitubercular and antibacterial activity. Preliminary mechanistic studies revealed that abyssinone II hyperpolarizes the bacterial membrane potential and inhibits the biosynthesis of key cellular macromolecules (DNA, RNA, and protein).