Nanostructured mesoporous silica: new perspectives for fighting antimicrobial resistance

Abstract

This paper investigates the antimicrobial potential of nanostructured mesoporous silica (NMS) functionalized with essential oils (EOs) and antibiotics (ATBs). The NMS networks were obtained by the basic procedure from cetyltrimethylammonium bromide and tetraethyl orthosilicate in the form of granules with diameters ranging from 100 to 300 nm with an average pore diameter of 2.2 nm, as confirmed by the BET-TEM analyses. The Salvia officinalis (SO) and Coriandrum sativum (CS) EOs and the streptomycin and neomycin ATBs were loaded in the NMS pores. TG analysis was performed in order to estimate the amount of the entrapped volatile EOs. The results of the biological analyses revealed that NMS/SO and NMS/CS exhibited a very good antimicrobial activity to an extent comparable or even superior to the one triggered by ATB, and a good in vitro and in vivo biocompatibility. Due to their regular pores, high biocompatibility, antimicrobial activity, and capacity to stabilize the volatile EOs, the obtained NMS can be used as an efficient drug delivery system for further biomedical applications.

Effective delivery of volatile biocides employing mesoporous silicates for treating biofilms

“…In our previous studies, we have also shown that a potential chemotherapeutic, the fungal derivative Ophiobolin A, underwent significantly less degradation when adsorbed to MSNPs [35]. Other studies have reported the use of nanostructured mesoporous silica loaded with essential oils against the planktonic form of the bacteria P. aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus [36] as well as against the fungus Aspergillus niger [37]. Different methods for essential oil loading into MSNPs have been reported.…”