Purpose: Improving solubility and antibacterial efficiency of cephalothin by using silica-containing redox nanoparticle (siRNP) as a system to encapsulate and deliver this hydrophobic antibiotic.
Methods: siRNP was synthesized by assembling amphiphilic block copolymers possessing a reactive oxygen species scavenging nitroxide radical and drug absorptive silica moieties in a hydrophobic side chain. Cephalothin, a hydrophobic antibiotic, was encapsulated into siRNP (cephalothin@siRNP) by mixing and dialysis methods. Antibacterial activity of cephalothin@siRNP against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) và Escherichia coli (E. coli) was evaluated by the agar diffusion method.
Results: The average size of siRNP and cephalothin@siRNP was 43.83 nm and 50.15 nm, respectively. After encapsulation in siRNP, the solubility of cephalothin was improved compared to cephalothin in an aqueous solution. The result showed that in vitro antibacterial activities of cephalothin and cephalothin@siRNP had no statistical difference after 24 h incubation on agar plates on both S. aureus and E. coli. However, after an extended incubation time, regrowth of E. coli colonies in the inhibitory zone was found in cephalothin treated plate. Interestingly, E. coli regrowth was significantly reduced in plates treated with cephalothin@siRNP.
Conclusion: In this study, siRNP successfully encapsulated cephalothin and enhanced the solubility of this drug. The antibacterial activity of cephalothin is prolonged when encapsulated in siRNP, which suppressed the reccurrence of E. coli colonies. Cephalothin@siRNP has the potential to inhibit antibiotic resistance.
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