# In vitro antibacterial activity of platelet-rich plasma against Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens

**Authors:** Yan Liu, Lei Liu, Jinbing Du, Wenxu Ni, Tingting Zou, Zihan Yuan, Yingkai Xu, Junying Li, Mengyu Shen, Yong Qi, Wanbing Liu

PMC · DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2026.1757780 · 2026-02-02

## TL;DR

This study shows that platelet-rich plasma has strong antibacterial effects against various bacteria, making it a potential treatment for infected wounds.

## Contribution

The study demonstrates that PRP has stronger antibacterial activity than PPP and Fro-PRP, and that freezing may reduce its effectiveness.

## Key findings

- PRP showed significant antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterobacter cloacae, Staphylococcus aureus, and Enterococcus faecalis.
- Frozen storage of PRP reduced its antibacterial effectiveness compared to fresh PRP.
- PRP and platelet-derived products may serve as promising alternatives for treating infected wounds.

## Abstract

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is known as an autologous biological agent that can immensely promote wound healing. Bacterial infection is a common complication of wounds which obstructs wound healing. However, the effect of PRP on bacteria is still inconclusive. This in vitro study evaluated the antibacterial activity of PRP, platelet-poor plasma (PPP) and Frozen-PRP (Fro-PRP) against Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterobacter cloacae, Staphylococcus aureus, and Enterococcus faecalis. The antimicrobial activity was performed using modified agar diffusion method, colony-forming units counting test, and bacterial growth curve analysis. The results showed that PRP, PPP and Fro-PRP had antimicrobial effects on five bacterial strains including Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterobacter cloacae, Staphylococcus aureus, and Enterococcus faecalis. The antimicrobial activity of PRP was significantly stronger than that of Fro-PRP and PPP. To a certain extent, frozen storage may reduce the antibacterial ability of PRP. Overall, our study demonstrates that PRP and other platelet derived products seem to be a promising alternative tool for infected wounds treatment.

## Linked entities

- **Diseases:** bacterial infection (MONDO:0005113)
- **Species:** Escherichia coli (taxon 562), Klebsiella pneumoniae (taxon 573), Enterobacter cloacae (taxon 550), Staphylococcus aureus (taxon 1280), Enterococcus faecalis (taxon 1351)

## Full-text entities

- **Diseases:** infected (MESH:D007239), Bacterial infection (MESH:D001424)
- **Chemicals:** agar (MESH:D000362), Fro-PRP (-)
- **Species:** Escherichia coli (E. coli, species) [taxon 562], Klebsiella pneumoniae (species) [taxon 573], Enterococcus faecalis (species) [taxon 1351], Enterobacter cloacae (species) [taxon 550], Staphylococcus aureus (species) [taxon 1280], Bacteria Latreille et al. 1825 (Bacteria stick insect, genus) [taxon 629395]

## Figures

3 figures with captions in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12907390/full.md

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12907390