Formulation of a novel antibacterial topical treatment based on Magnetite-Buforin-II-silver nanobioconjugates

Abstract

Community acquired infections caused by Meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) have become a growing concern due to its impact on the world public health. This microorganism is a commonly spreading pathogen associated predominantly with skin infections and connected to other more severe conditions (septic shock, and generalized infection). The lack of highly effective antibiotics and treatments to control skin infections with S. aureus has led to the search of novel therapies using alternative agents such as antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). In order to obtain a viable administration route to counteract superficial skin infections (impetigo, abscesses, furuncles, and cellulitis), a topical formulation based on Magnetite-Buforin-II-silver nanobioconjugates as active antibacterial agents was designed by their dispersion in O/W concentrated emulsions. The prepared topical characterization indicated that O/W emulsions were stable in time, the droplets size remained within the appropriate values (∼1 µm) and their rheological properties, such as pseudoplastic and shear-thinning behavior, remained unchanged for up to 3 months. Additionally, hemolysis and platelet aggregation tests were acceptable (i.e., 14.72 ± 2.62% and 8.06 ± 2.90%, respectively) in compliance with the ISO-10993 standard. Furthermore, the treatment reduced significantly (p < 0.0001) the growth of both clinical isolated MRSA and wild Type S. aureus strains as evidenced by the contact diffusion method. These results are important in the context of proposing new alternatives that allow manage effectively the threat posed by the antibiotic resistant bacterial strains, which jeopardize the lives of thousands of people every year.

Enhancing Wound Healing: A Novel Topical Emulsion Combining CW49 Peptide and Lavender Essential Oil for Accelerated Regeneration and Antibacterial Protection

“…Moreover, the droplet size can also be attributed to the presence of Carbopol, which prevents oil-droplet coalescence. The incorporation of Carbopol as a thickener in the continuous phase is crucial for providing stability, consistency, and droplet homogeneity [ 31 , 32 ]. Regarding rheological behavior, the emulsions exhibited shear-thinning and pseudoplastic properties ( Figure 1 C and Table 3 ).…”

“…Three oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions were prepared following the methodology developed by Muñoz et al [ 31 ]: a control emulsion (without lavender oil and CW49 peptide), a lavender emulsion (with 0.25% w / w of lavender oil), and a lavender with the CW49-peptide emulsion (with 0.25% w / w of lavender oil and 20 μg/mL). The emulsions were prepared at a ratio of 10:90% w / w , with a surfactant ratio of 60:40%, which corresponds to the 4% of total weight, 0.3% w / w of Carbopol was added as a thickener, and triethanolamine at a 0.6% w / w concentration.…”

“…The antibacterial activity of the emulsions was evaluated by agar diffusion assay and colony-forming-units count as described by Muñoz et al [ 31 ]. Bacterial cells from S. aureus and E. coli were inoculated overnight, after which a colony was cultured in LB medium at 37 °C for four hours until a McFarland standard of 0.4 was reached.…”