Fabrication of Co-Assembly from Berberine and Tannic Acid for Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria Infection Treatment

Abstract

Long-term antibiotic use induces drug resistance in bacteria. This has given rise to the challenge of refractory infections, which have become a global health threat. Berberine (BBR) and tannic acid (TA) from plants exhibit promising antibacterial activities and may overcome antibiotic resistance. However, poor solubility and/or low penetration capability have limited their application. Carrier-free co-assembled nanocomposites composed entirely of BBR and TA exhibit improved or new properties and produce improved efficacy. Herein, we demonstrated that an ordered nanostructure could be spontaneously co-assembled by the solvent evaporation method using the two natural products. These co-assembled berberine–tannic acid nanoparticles (BBR-TA NPs) exhibited the best antibacterial effect compared with the corresponding physical mixture, pristine BBR, and some first-line antibiotics (benzylpenicillin potassium-BP and ciprofloxacin-Cip) against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Even if the concentration of BBR-TA NPs was as low as 15.63 μg/mL, the antibacterial rate against S. aureus and MRSA was more than 80%. In addition to the synergistic effect of the two compounds, the antibacterial mechanism underlying the nanostructures was that they strongly adhered to the surface of the bacterial cell wall, thereby inducing cell membrane damage and intracellular ATP leakage. Furthermore, the in vivo wound healing effect of BBR-TA NPs was verified using an MRSA wound infection mouse model. The BBR-TA NPs achieved the best efficacy compared with BP and Cip. Moreover, cytotoxic and histopathological evaluations of mice revealed that the nanodrug had good biological safety. This facile and green co-assembly strategy for preparing nanoparticles provides a feasible reference for the clinical treatment of bacterial infection.

Nanoparticles Self-Assembled from Berberine and Chrysin for Generating Antimicrobial Films

“…At the same time, according to our review of a large number of literatures, we found that the binary carrier-free supramolecules prepared by domestic and foreign researchers only possess antibacterial properties and do not possess the capability to be simultaneously antibacterial and antifungal. 13,14 In this study, we successfully prepared phytomedicine carrier-free NPs of BBR and CHR through a one-pot method, which is green, economic, and environmentally friendly. In the past, we used flavonoid glycosides and isoquinoline alkaloids to self-assemble to form binary carrierfree supramolecular molecules.…”