The Study on Molecular Profile Changes of Pathogens via Zinc Nanocomposites Immobilization Approach

Abstract

The most critical group of all includes multidrug resistant bacteria that pose a particular threat in hospitals, as they can cause severe and often deadly infections. Modern medicine still faces the difficult task of developing new agents for the effective control of bacterial-based diseases. The targeted administration of nanoparticles can enhance the efficiency of conventional pharmaceutical agents. However, the interpretation of interfaces’ interactions between nanoparticles and biological systems still remains a challenge for researchers. In fact, the current research presents a strategy for using ZnO NPs immobilization with ampicillin and tetracycline. Firstly, the study provides the mechanism of the ampicillin and tetracycline binding on the surface of ZnO NPs. Secondly, it examines the effect of non-immobilized ZnO NPs, immobilized with ampicillin (ZnONPs/AMP) and tetracycline (ZnONPs/TET), on the cells’ metabolism and morphology, based on the protein and lipid profiles. A sorption kinetics study showed that the antibiotics binding on the surface of ZnONPs depend on their structure. The efficiency of the process was definitely higher in the case of ampicillin. In addition, flow cytometry results showed that immobilized nanoparticles present a different mechanism of action. Moreover, according to the MALDI approach, the antibacterial activity mechanism of the investigated ZnO complexes is mainly based on the destruction of cell membrane integrity by lipids and proteins, which is necessary for proper cell function. Additionally, it was noticed that some of the identified changes indicate the activation of defense mechanisms by cells, leading to a decrease in the permeability of a cell’s external barriers or the synthesis of repair proteins.

Analysis of Antibacterial and Antiviral Properties of ZnO and Cu Coatings Deposited by Magnetron Sputtering: Evaluation of Cell Viability and ROS Production

“…It was shown previously that ZnO particles undergo partial dissolution in aqueous suspension, releasing Zn 2+ ions that play a significant role in the antimicrobial activity exhibited by ZnO [57,58]. Therefore, Zn ions could inhibit the growth of bacterial cultures [59][60][61]. However, no effect of soluble components was detected in our study against E. coli, which correlated with low ROS production.…”

Advances in Nanostructures for Antimicrobial Therapy

“…NPs coupled with natural antimicrobials can be successfully used against MDR bacteria [ 89 ]. Besides the penetration of the bacterial cell wall and the destruction permeability of the cell membrane and the structure and function of cell macromolecules due to production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), NPs can kill the bacteria and overcome multi-drug resistance because they are able to affect several targets in bacterial cells and exhibit synergistic effect with conventional antibiotics, resulting in improved antibacterial effectiveness [ 79 , 90 ]. Recent progress in NCs targeting specific bacterial targets and targeting infected cells, which respond to the infection microenvironment and are able to ensure sustained release of antibacterial drugs and their increased levels the site of infection along with minimizing adverse side effects of drugs in non-infected tissues were summarized by Zhang et al [ 91 ]…”