Enhanced Antibacterial and Antibiofilm Effects of Thiolated Chitosan-Encapsulated Nisin and Selenium Nanoparticles: A Potential Nanotechnology-Based Solution for Antibiotic- Resistant Bacterial Infections

Abstract

Nanotechnology holds significant promise in the battle against antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The aim of this study was to assess the bactericidal and antibiofilm effects of nisin and selenium encapsulated within thiolated chitosan (TC), a biodegradable and nontoxicderivative of chitosan, against common multidrug-resistant clinical enteric pathogens, including Vibrio cholerae O1 Eltor, Campylobacter jejuni, Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica, Shigella dysenteriae, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, andStaphylococcus aureus, using in vitro evaluations. TC-nisin-selenium nanoparticles (TCs-N-SeNPs) were synthesized using ionic cross-linking,and their formation was confirmed through various tests. The synthesized nanoparticles were subjected to assessment of their antibacterial properties and antibiofilm activity using micro broth dilution and the crystal violet method, respectively. Furthermore, their potential inflammatory and anti-inflammatory properties were examined by measuring the release of the cytokines TNF-α, IL-6, IL-10, and TGF-β in vitro. Nanoparticle synthesis confirmatory tests, along with the brick red color, validatedthe synthesis process and confirmedthe formation of TCs-N-SeNPs. The primary result indicates that TC-N-SeNPs exhibited a significant antibacterial and antibiofilm effect at concentrations ranging from 6.25 to 200 μg/mL. Due to disulfide linkages that keep nisin and selenium from being destroyed by lower pH, the effective release of nanosystems at alkaline pH is enhanced. The synergistic impact of uniform TCs-N-SeNPs compared to TCs-NNPs and TCs-SeNPs was evaluated successfully. In conclusion, TCs-N-SeNPs have promising potential as an effective therapeutic approach against antibiotic-resistant bacteria, with synergistic action, improved stability and enhanced bioavailability, antibacterial and antibiofilm properties.