title: The intrinsic antimicrobial activity of citric acid-coated manganese ferrite nanoparticles is enhanced after conjugation with the antifungal peptide Cm-p5.
abstract: Diseases caused by bacterial and fungal pathogens are among the major health problems in the world. Newer antimicrobial therapies based on novel molecules urgently need to be developed, and this includes the antimicrobial peptides. In spite of the potential of antimicrobial peptides, very few of them were able to be successfully developed into therapeutics. The major problems they present are molecule stability, toxicity in host cells, and production costs. A novel strategy to overcome these obstacles is conjugation to nanomaterial preparations. The antimicrobial activity of different types of nanoparticles has been previously demonstrated. Specifically, magnetic nanoparticles have been widely studied in biomedicine due to their physicochemical properties. The citric acid-modified manganese ferrite nanoparticles used in this study were characterized by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, which confirmed the formation of nanocrystals of approximately 5 nm diameter. These nanoparticles were able to inhibit Candida albicans growth in vitro. The minimal inhibitory concentration was 250 µg/mL. However, the nanoparticles were not capable of inhibiting Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli) or Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus). Finally, an antifungal peptide (Cm-p5) from the sea animal Cenchritis muricatus (Gastropoda: Littorinidae) was conjugated to the modified manganese ferrite nanoparticles. The antifungal activity of the conjugated nanoparticles was higher than their bulk counterparts, showing a minimal inhibitory concentration of 100 µg/mL. This conjugate proved to be nontoxic to a macrophage cell line at concentrations that showed antimicrobial activity.
authors: Faculty of Biology, Center for Protein Studies.
authors: Carlos
authors: C
authors: Lopez-Abarrategui
authors: Lab of Structural Analysis, Institute of Materials Science and Technology, Havana University, La Habana, Havana, Cuba.
authors: Viviana
authors: V
authors: Figueroa-Espi
authors: Faculty of Biology, Center for Protein Studies.
authors: Maria B
authors: MB
authors: Lugo-Alvarez
authors: Center for Biochemical and Proteomics Analyses, Catholic University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil.
authors: Caroline D
authors: CD
authors: Pereira
authors: Laboratory of Peptide Analysis and Synthesis, Center of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, La Habana, Havana, Cuba.
authors: Hilda
authors: H
authors: Garay
authors: Department of Cellular Biology, Laboratory of Biophysics, Institute of Biological Science, University of Brasilia.
authors: João Arg
authors: JA
authors: Barbosa
authors: Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA), Center of Genetic Resources and Biotechnology (CENARGEN), Brasilia DF, Brazil.
authors: Rosana
authors: R
authors: Falcão
authors: Lab of Structural Analysis, Institute of Materials Science and Technology, Havana University, La Habana, Havana, Cuba.
authors: Linnavel
authors: L
authors: Jiménez-Hernández
authors: Lab of Structural Analysis, Institute of Materials Science and Technology, Havana University, La Habana, Havana, Cuba; Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología de Materiales (IMRE), Universidad de La Habana, Cuba.
authors: Osvaldo
authors: O
authors: Estévez-Hernández
authors: Research Center for Applied Science and Advanced Technology (CICATA), National Polytechnic Institute (IPN), Lagaria Unit, Mexico DF, Mexico.
authors: Edilso
authors: E
authors: Reguera
authors: Center for Biochemical and Proteomics Analyses, Catholic University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil; S-Inova Biotech, Post-Graduate in Biotechnology, Universidade Catolica Dom Bosco, Campo Grande, Brazil.
authors: Octavio L
authors: OL
authors: Franco
authors: Center for Biochemical and Proteomics Analyses, Catholic University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil.
authors: Simoni C
authors: SC
authors: Dias
authors: Faculty of Biology, Center for Protein Studies.
authors: Anselmo J
authors: AJ
authors: Otero-Gonzalez
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D019343:Citric Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020099:Coated Materials, Biocompatible / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects; D005290:Ferric Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017895:Manganese Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D050296:Microbial Viability / Q000187:drug effects; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010455:Peptides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000067996:RAW 264.7 Cells; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D000935:Antifungal Agents; C000614525:Cm-p5 compound; D020099:Coated Materials, Biocompatible; D005290:Ferric Compounds; D017895:Manganese Compounds; D010455:Peptides; C551151:manganese ferrite; D019343:Citric Acid
keywords: Cm-p5 peptide; antifungal; conjugation; nanoparticles