The management of antibiotic-resistant, bacterial biofilm infections in chronic skin wounds is an increasing clinical challenge. Despite advances in diagnosis, many patients do not derive benefit from current anti-infective/antibiotic therapies. Here, we report a novel class of naturally occurring and semisynthetic epoxy-tiglianes, derived from the Queensland blushwood tree (
Fontainea picrosperma)
, and demonstrate their antimicrobial activity (modifying bacterial growth and inducing biofilm disruption), with structure/activity relationships established against important human pathogens. In vitro, the lead candidate EBC-1013 stimulated protein kinase C (PKC)–dependent neutrophil reactive oxygen species (ROS) induction and NETosis and increased expression of wound healing–associated cytokines, chemokines, and antimicrobial peptides in keratinocytes and fibroblasts. In vivo, topical EBC-1013 induced rapid resolution of infection with increased matrix remodeling in acute thermal injuries in calves. In chronically infected diabetic mouse wounds, treatment induced cytokine/chemokine production, inflammatory cell recruitment, and complete healing (in six of seven wounds) with ordered keratinocyte differentiation. These results highlight a nonantibiotic approach involving contrasting, orthogonal mechanisms of action combining targeted biofilm disruption and innate immune induction in the treatment of chronic wounds.
The need for microorganism control in the food industry has promoted research in food processing technologies. Ozone is considered to be a promising food preserving technique and has gained great interest due to its strong oxidative properties and significant antimicrobial efficiency, and because its decomposition leaves no residues in foods. In this ozone technology review, the properties and the oxidation potential of ozone, and the intrinsic and extrinsic factors that affect the microorganism inactivation efficiency of both gaseous and aqueous ozone, are explained, as well as the mechanisms of ozone inactivation of foodborne pathogenic bacteria, fungi, mould, and biofilms. This review focuses on the latest scientific studies on the effects of ozone in controlling microorganism growth, maintaining food appearance and sensorial organoleptic qualities, assuring nutrient contents, enhancing the quality of food, and extending food shelf life, e.g., vegetables, fruits, meat, and grain products. The multifunctionality effects of ozone in food processing, in both gaseous and aqueous form, have promoted its use in the food industries to meet the increased consumer preference for a healthy diet and ready-to-eat products, although ozone may present undesirable effects on physicochemical characteristics on certain food products at high concentrations. The combined uses of ozone and other techniques (hurdle technology) have shown a promotive future in food processing. It can be concluded from this review that the application of ozone technology upon food requires increased research; specifically, the use of treatment conditions such as concentration and humidity for food and surface decontamination.
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