Integrated Phenotypic and Transcriptomic Analyses Unveil the Antibacterial Mechanism of Punicalagin Against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)

The growing emergence of multidrug-resistant bacterial pathogens drives the need for new antibacterial agents. Punicalagin exhibits efficacy against methicillin-resistant Staphy- lococcus aureus (MRSA), but its specific antibacterial mechanisms remain unclear. This study unveiled the specific antibacterial mechanism of punicalagin against MRSA via phenotypic and transcriptomic analyses. Punicalagin was found to induce severe cell wall damage and membrane disruption. Competitive binding assays...