Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa eradication by nano-penicillin G.
The transformation of penicillin G into nano/micro-sized spheres (nanopenicillin) using sonochemical technology was explored as a novel tool for the eradication of Gram-negative bacteria and their biofilms. Known by its effectiveness only against Gram-positive microorganisms, the penicillin G spherization boosted the inhibition of the Gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa 10-fold (from 0.3 to 3.0 log-reduction) and additionally induced 1.2 log-reduction of Escherichia coli growth. The efficient penetration of the spheres within a Langmuir monolayer sustained the theory that nanopenicillin is able to cross the membrane and reach the periplasmic space in Gram-negative bacteria where they inhibit the β-lactam targets: the transferases that build the bacteria cell wall. Moreover, it considerably suppressed the growth of both bacterial biofilms on a medically relevant polystyrene surface, leaving majority of the adhered cells dead compared to the treatment with the non-processed penicillin G. Importantly, nanopenicillin was found innocuous towards human fibroblasts at the antibacterial-effective concentrations.
Grup de Biotecnologia Molecular i Industrial, Department d'Enginyeria Química, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Rambla Sant Nebridi 22, España.
Margarida M
MM
Fernandes
Grup de Biotecnologia Molecular i Industrial, Department d'Enginyeria Química, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Rambla Sant Nebridi 22, España.
Kristina
K
Ivanova
Grup de Biotecnologia Molecular i Industrial, Department d'Enginyeria Química, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Rambla Sant Nebridi 22, España.
Antonio
A
Francesko
Grup de Biotecnologia Molecular i Industrial, Department d'Enginyeria Química, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Rambla Sant Nebridi 22, España.
Diana
D
Rivera
Grup de Biotecnologia Molecular i Industrial, Department d'Enginyeria Química, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Rambla Sant Nebridi 22, España.
Juan
J
Torrent-Burgués
Department of Chemistry, Institute of Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials, BarIlan University, Israel.
Aharon
A
Gedanken
Laboratory of Applied Nanomaterials, Center for Research in NanoEngineering, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, c/ Pascual I Vila 15, Barcelona, Spain.
Ernest
E
Mendonza
Grup de Biotecnologia Molecular i Industrial, Department d'Enginyeria Química, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Rambla Sant Nebridi 22, España. Electronic address: tzanko.tzanov@upc.edu.
Tzanko
T
Tzanov
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004926:Escherichia coli; D006801:Humans; D036103:Nanotechnology; D010400:Penicillin G / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000187:drug effects*; D047090:beta-Lactams
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D047090:beta-Lactams; D010400:Penicillin G
Antibacterial; Antibiofilm; Nano-bio interactions; Nano/Microspheres; Penicillin G; Sonochemistry