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Bioactive Materials with Antimicrobial Properties

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A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Microbiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2023) | Viewed by 19461

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Dr. Donatella Duraccio

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National Research Council (CNR), STEMS, Strada delle Cacce 73, 10135 Turin, Italy
Interests: polymer composites and nanocomposites; biopolymers; coatings; structure–property relationship; food packaging; biomedical engineering
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Dr. Giovanna Gomez D’Ayala

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National Research Council (CNR), IPCB, Via Campi Flegrei 34, 80078 Pozzuoli, NA, Italy
Interests: polymer synthesis; stimuli-responsive polymers; biocomposites; biomaterials; wound healing; bone regeneration
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Antimicrobial property is an integral requirement for a wide range of applications, including wound dressing, food packaging, and textiles (such as medical, aerospace textiles, and textiles used in filtration). It is well known, in fact, that bacteria and other microorganisms are considered to be the main causative factors of many diseases, such as bone and joint infections and endodontic and skin diseases. Foodborne pathogens are considered one of the major causes of hospitalizations, illnesses, and deaths each year.

Prompted by the emergence of antibiotic- and antifungal-resistant microbes, there is an urgent request for new antimicrobial agents. A wide range of organic and inorganic antimicrobial agents have already been investigated and immobilized on host materials, including metals, plastics, and natural and human-made fabrics, with the objective to obtain effective, durable, and diverse antimicrobial properties (including fungi, algae, and bacteria). The antimicrobial agents can differ in their chemical structure, effectiveness, cost, and their influence on people and the environment.

This Special Issue seeks to collect contributions on bioactive materials possessing antimicrobial properties. The works can concern the synthesis of novel antimicrobial agents, their incorporation/immobilization in a host material, the preparation or synthesis of bioactive materials incorporating antimicrobial components, novel bulky material with antimicrobial properties, etc. There are no limits in terms of application (i.e., biomedical, food packaging, or aerospace, among others) nature (organic or inorganic), origin and dimension of the antimicrobial agent, material composition, type of host material (metal, plastic, or textile), or antimicrobial property (against bacteria, fungi, algae, etc.). Both original contributions and reviews are welcome.

Dr. Donatella Duraccio
Dr. Giovanna Gomez D’Ayala
Guest Editors

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Keywords

bioactivity
biomedical application
smart packaging
aerospace
textile
antimicrobic activity
antifungal activity

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Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 2785 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Aqueous Extracts from Hemp Seeds as a New Weapon against Staphylococcus epidermidis Biofilms

by Angela Casillo, Caterina D’Angelo, Paola Imbimbo, Daria Maria Monti, Ermenegilda Parrilli, Rosa Lanzetta, Giovanna Gomez d’Ayala, Salvatore Mallardo, Maria Michela Corsaro and Donatella Duraccio

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(22), 16026; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms242216026 - 7 Nov 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1395

Abstract

This study investigated the antibiofilm activity of water-soluble extracts obtained under different pH conditions from Cannabis sativa seeds and from previously defatted seeds. The chemical composition of the extracts, determined through GC-MS and NMR, revealed complex mixtures of fatty acids, monosaccharides, amino acids and glycerol in ratios depending on extraction pH. In particular, the extract obtained at pH 7 from defatted seeds (Ex7d) contained a larger variety of sugars compared to the others. Saturated and unsaturated fatty acids were found in all of the analysed extracts, but linoleic acid (C18:2) was detected only in the extracts obtained at pH 7 and pH 10. The extracts did not show cytotoxicity to HaCaT cells and significantly inhibited the formation of Staphylococcus epidermidis biofilms. The exception was the extract obtained at pH 10, which appeared to be less active. Ex7d showed the highest antibiofilm activity, i.e., around 90%. Ex7d was further fractionated by HPLC, and the antibiofilm activity of all fractions was evaluated. The 2D-NMR analysis highlighted that the most active fraction was largely composed of glycerolipids. This evidence suggested that these molecules are probably responsible for the observed antibiofilm effect but does not exclude a possible synergistic contribution by the other components. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioactive Materials with Antimicrobial Properties)

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24 pages, 10133 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Low Molecular Weight and High Deacetylation Degree Chitosan Batch Alleviates Pathogenesis, Toxin Accumulation, and Fusarium Gene Regulation in Barley Leaf Pathosystem

by Pawel Poznanski, Amir Hameed, Marta Dmochowska-Boguta, Marcin Bryla and Waclaw Orczyk

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(16), 12894; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms241612894 - 17 Aug 2023

Viewed by 1460

Abstract

Fusarium graminearum is a cosmopolitan fungal pathogen that destroys cereal production, in terms of loss of yield and grain contamination with mycotoxins, worldwide. Chitosan is a natural biopolymer abundant in the environment with proven antifungal properties that also acts as a plant immunity elicitor. Despite a number of articles, there is a lack of systematic comparison of antifungal activity of diverse batches of chitosan. The current study aimed to test the inhibitory effects of a collection of diverse chitosan samples on the growth and production of F. graminearum toxins, validated by changes in the Fusarium transcriptome. Experiments included testing antifungal activity of different chitosan samples, the application of the best performing one in vitro to investigate the impact on F. graminearum growth, followed by analyzing its effect on Fusarium toxins accumulation, and Fusarium transcriptomics in the barley leaf pathosystem. Confirmatory antifungal assays revealed that CS_10, a specific batch of chitosan, retarded Fusarium growth with an application concentration of 200 ppm, significantly reducing toxin synthesis and disease symptoms in Fusarium-inoculated barley leaves. RNA-Seq analysis of F. graminearum in barley leaf pathosystem exposed to CS_10 showed a list of differentially expressed genes involved in redox balance, cell respiration, nutrient transport, cell wall degradation enzymes, ergosterol biosynthesis, and trichothecenes production. The genes functioning in these essential pathways are discussed and assigned as critical checkpoints to control Fusarium infections. The results suggest some important molecular targets in F. graminearum that may be suitable in gene-specific targeting or transgene-free methods, such as spray-induced gene silencing during host-pathogen interactions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioactive Materials with Antimicrobial Properties)

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21 pages, 4540 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influence of Electrospun Fibre Secondary Morphology on Antibiotic Release Kinetic and Its Impact on Antimicrobic Efficacy

by Mariella Rosalia, Pietro Grisoli, Rossella Dorati, Enrica Chiesa, Silvia Pisani, Giovanna Bruni, Ida Genta and Bice Conti

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(15), 12108; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms241512108 - 28 Jul 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1277

Abstract

Vascular graft infections are a severe complication in vascular surgery, with a high morbidity and mortality. Prevention and treatment involve the use of antibiotic- or antiseptic-impregnated artificial vascular grafts, but currently, there are no commercially available infection-proof small-diameter vascular grafts (SDVGs). In this work we investigated the antimicrobic activity of two SDVGs prototypes loaded with tobramycin and produced via the electrospinning of drug-doped PLGA (polylactide-co-glycolide) solutions. Differences in rheological and conductivity properties of the polymer solutions resulted in non-identical fibre morphology that deeply influenced the hydration profile and consequently the in vitro cumulative drug release, which was investigated by using a spectrofluorimetric technique. Using DDSolver Excel add-in, modelling of the drug release kinetic was performed to evaluate the release mechanism involved: Prototype 1 showed a sustained and diffusive driven drug release, which allowed for the complete elution of tobramycin within 2 weeks, whereas Prototype 2 resulted in a more extended drug release controlled by both diffusion and matrix relaxation. Time-kill assays performed on S. aureus and E. coli highlighted the influence of burst drug release on the decay rate of bacterial populations, with Prototype 1 being more efficient on both microorganisms. Nevertheless, both prototypes showed good antimicrobic activity over the 5 days of in vitro testing. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioactive Materials with Antimicrobial Properties)

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11 pages, 2506 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Exploring the Antimicrobial Potential and Biofilm Inhibitory Properties of Hemocyanin from Hemifusus pugilinus (Born, 1778)

by Sivakamavalli Jeyachandran, Hethesh Chellapandian, Kiyun Park and Ihn-Sil Kwak

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(14), 11494; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms241411494 - 15 Jul 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1703

Abstract

The seafood industry plays a huge role in the blue economy, exploiting the advantage of the enriched protein content of marine organisms such as shrimps and molluscs, which are cultured in aquafarms. Diseases greatly affect these aquatic organisms in culture and, hence, there is need to study, in detail, their innate immune mechanisms. Hemocyanin is a non-specific innate defense molecule present in the blood cells of several invertebrates, especially molluscs, arthropods, and annelids. It is concerned with oxygen transport, blood clotting, and immune enhancement. In the present study, this macromolecular metalloprotein was isolated from the hemolymph of the marine snail Hemifusus pugilinus (Born, 1778) using Sephadex G-100 gel filtration column chromatography. It occurred as a single band (MW 80 kDa) on SDS-PAGE. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) of the purified hemocyanin showed a single peak with a retention time of 4.3 min. The secondary structure and stability of the protein were detected using circular dichroism (CD), and the spectra demonstrated negative ellipticity bands close to 208 nm and 225 nm, indicating β-sheets. Further exploration of the purified hemocyanin revealed remarkable antimicrobial and antibiofilm activities against Gram-positive (Enterococcus faecalis and Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Proteus vulgaris) at a concentration of 1–5 μg/mL. Spectrophotometric and in situ microscopic analyses (CLSM) unveiled the potential of the purified hemocyanin to inhibit biofilm formation in these bacteria with a minimal inhibitory concentration of 40 μg/mL. Furthermore, H. pugilinus hemocyanin (10 μg/mL concentration) displayed antifungal activity against Aspergillus niger. The purified hemocyanin was also assessed for cytotoxicity against human cancer cells using cell viability assays. Altogether, the present study shows that molluscan hemocyanin is a potential antimicrobial, antibiofilm, antifungal, anticancer, and immunomodulatory agent, with great scope for application in the enhancement of the immune system of molluscs, thereby facilitating their aquaculture. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioactive Materials with Antimicrobial Properties)

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18 pages, 5781 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Developing Antibiofilm Fibrillar Scaffold with Intrinsic Capacity to Produce Silver Nanoparticles

by Giovanna Pitarresi, Giuseppe Barberi, Fabio Salvatore Palumbo, Domenico Schillaci, Calogero Fiorica, Valentina Catania, Serena Indelicato, David Bongiorno, Giuseppina Biscari and Gaetano Giammona

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(23), 15378; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms232315378 - 6 Dec 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2184

Abstract

The development of biomedical systems with antimicrobial and antibiofilm properties is a difficult medical task for preventing bacterial adhesion and growth on implanted devices. In this work, a fibrillar scaffold was produced by electrospinning a polymeric organic dispersion of polylactic acid (PLA) and poly(α,β-(N-(3,4-dihydroxyphenethyl)-L-aspartamide-co-α,β-N-(2-hydroxyethyl)-L-aspartamide) (PDAEA). The pendant catechol groups of PDAEA were used to reduce silver ions in situ and produce silver nanoparticles onto the surface of the electrospun fibers through a simple and reproducible procedure. The morphological and physicochemical characterization of the obtained scaffolds were studied and compared with virgin PLA electrospun sample. Antibiofilm properties against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, used as a biofilm-forming pathogen model, were also studied on planar and tubular scaffolds. These last were fabricated as a proof of concept to demonstrate the possibility to obtain antimicrobial devices with different shape and dimension potentially useful for different biomedical applications. The results suggest a promising approach for the development of antimicrobial and antibiofilm scaffolds. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioactive Materials with Antimicrobial Properties)

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18 pages, 9844 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Functional Properties of Gelatin/Polyvinyl Alcohol Films Containing Black Cumin Cake Extract and Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Produced via Casting Technique

by Alicja Tymczewska, Bliss Ursula Furtado, Jacek Nowaczyk, Katarzyna Hrynkiewicz and Aleksandra Szydłowska-Czerniak

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(5), 2734; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23052734 - 1 Mar 2022

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3710

Abstract

This study aimed to develop and characterize gelatin/polyvinyl alcohol (G/PVA) films loaded with black cumin cake extract (BCCE) and zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs). The BCCE was also applied for the green synthesis of ZnONPs with an average size of less than 100 nm. The active films were produced by a solvent-casting technique, and their physicochemical and antibacterial properties were investigated. Supplementation of G/PVA film in ZnONPs decreased the tensile strength (TS) from 2.97 MPa to 1.69 MPa. The addition of BCCE and ZnONPs increased the elongation at the break (EAB) of the enriched film by about 3%. The G/PVA/BCCE/ZnONPs film revealed the lowest water vapor permeability (WVP = 1.14 × 10⁻⁹ g·mm·Pa⁻¹·h⁻¹·mm⁻²) and the highest opacity (3.41 mm⁻¹). The QUick, Easy, New, CHEap and Reproducible (QUENCHER) methodologies using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6- sulfonic acid) (ABTS) and cupric ion reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC) were applied to measure antioxidant capacity (AC) of the prepared films. The incorporation of BCCE and ZnONPs into G/PVA films enhanced the AC by 8–144%. The films containing ZnONPs and a mixture of BCCE and ZnONPs inhibited the growth of three Gram-positive bacterial strains. These nanocomposite films with desired functional properties can be recommended to inhibit microbial spoilage and oxidative rancidity of packaged food. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioactive Materials with Antimicrobial Properties)

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15 pages, 3441 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of the Nanoparticle Exposures on the Tomato Bacterial Wilt Disease Control by Modulating the Rhizosphere Bacterial Community

by Hubiao Jiang, Luqiong Lv, Temoor Ahmed, Shaomin Jin, Muhammad Shahid, Muhammad Noman, Hosam-Eldin Hussein Osman, Yanli Wang, Guochang Sun, Xuqing Li and Bin Li

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(1), 414; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23010414 - 30 Dec 2021

Cited by 38 | Viewed by 3791

Abstract

Ralstonia Solanacearum is one of the most infectious soil-borne bacterial plant pathogens, causing tomato bacterial wilt (TBW). Nanotechnology is an emerging area of research, particularly the application of nanoparticles (NPs) as nanopesticides to manage plant disease is gaining attention nowadays. However, the interaction between NPs and rhizosphere bacterial communities remains largely elusive. This study indicated that metal NPs (CuO, ZnO, and FeO) reduced the incidence of bacterial wilt to varying degrees and affected the composition and structure of the rhizosphere bacterial community. The results revealed that the application of metal oxide NPs can improve the morphological and physiological parameters of TBW infected tomato plants. Among all, CuONPs amendments significantly increase the Chao1 and Shannon index. In the early stage (the second week), it significantly reduces the relative abundance of pathogens. However, the relative abundance of beneficial Streptomyces bacteria increased significantly, negatively correlated with the relative abundance of pathogenic bacteria. In addition, the nano-treatment group will enrich some potential beneficial bacteria such as species from Sphingomonadaceae, Rhizobiaceae, etc. In general, our research provides evidence and strategies for preventing and controlling soil-borne disease tomato bacterial wilt with metal oxide NPs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioactive Materials with Antimicrobial Properties)

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19 pages, 12903 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comparison of Aging Resistance and Antimicrobial Properties of Ethylene–Norbornene Copolymer and Poly(Lactic Acid) Impregnated with Phytochemicals Embodied in Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) and Clove (Syzygium aromaticum)

by Anna Masek, Stefan Cichosz and Małgorzata Piotrowska

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(23), 13025; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms222313025 - 1 Dec 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2751

Abstract

The effects of plant-based extracts on the solar aging and antimicrobial properties of impregnated ethylene–norbornene (EN) copolymer and poly(lactic acid) (PLA) were investigated. In this study, the impregnation yield of polyolefin, lacking in active centers capable of phytochemical bonding, and polyester, abundant in active sides, was measured. Moreover, two different extracts plentiful in phytochemicals—thyme (TE) and clove (CE)—were employed in the solvent-based impregnation process. The effect of thymol and eugenol, the two main compounds embodied in the extracts, was studied as well. Interestingly, oxidation induction times (OIT) for the impregnation of EN with thyme and clove extracts were established to be, respectively, 27.7 and 39.02 min, which are higher than for thymol (18.4 min) and eugenol (21.1 min). Therefore, an aging experiment, mimicking the full spectrum of sunlight, was carried out to investigate the resistance to common radiation of materials impregnated with antioxidative substances. As expected, the experiment revealed that the natural extracts increased the shelf-life of the polymer matrix by inhibiting the degradation processes. The aging resistance was assessed based on detected changes in the materials’ behavior and structure that were examined with Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, contact angle measurements, color quantification, tensile tests, and hardness investigation. Such broad results of solar aging regarding materials impregnated with thyme and clove extracts have not been reported to date. Moreover, CE was found to be the most effective modifying agent for enabling material with antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli to be obtained. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioactive Materials with Antimicrobial Properties)

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