scholarly journals Efficacy of Ursolic Acid-Enriched Water-Soluble and Not Cytotoxic Nanoparticles against Enterococci

Pharmaceutics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 1976
Author(s):  
Anna Maria Schito ◽  
Debora Caviglia ◽  
Gabriella Piatti ◽  
Alessia Zorzoli ◽  
Danilo Marimpietri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ursolic Acid ◽  
Therapeutic Option ◽  
Human Keratinocytes ◽  
Biological Properties ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Pentacyclic Triterpenoid ◽  
Different Strains ◽  
Time Kill

Ursolic acid (UA), a pentacyclic triterpenoid acid found in many medicinal plants and aromas, is known for its antibacterial effects against multi-drug-resistant (MDR) Gram-positive bacteria, which seriously threaten human health. Unfortunately, UA water-insolubility, low bioavailability, and systemic toxicity limit the possibilities of its application in vivo. Consequently, the beneficial activities of UA observed in vitro lose their potential clinical relevance unless water-soluble, not cytotoxic UA formulations are developed. With a nano-technologic approach, we have recently prepared water-soluble UA-loaded dendrimer nanoparticles (UA-G4K NPs) non-cytotoxic on HeLa cells, with promising physicochemical properties for their clinical applications. In this work, with the aim of developing a new antibacterial agent based on UA, UA-G4K has been tested on different strains of the Enterococcus genus, including marine isolates, toward which UA-G4K has shown minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) very low (0.5–4.3 µM), regardless of their resistance to antibiotics. Time-kill experiments, in addition to confirming the previously reported bactericidal activity of UA against E. faecium, also established it for UA-G4K. Furthermore, cytotoxicity experiments on human keratinocytes revealed that nanomanipulation of UA significantly reduced the cytotoxicity of UA, providing UA-G4K NPs with very high LD50 (96.4 µM) and selectivity indices, which were in the range 22.4–192.8, depending on the enterococcal strain tested. Due to its physicochemical and biological properties, UA-G4K could be seriously evaluated as a novel oral-administrable therapeutic option for tackling difficult-to-treat enterococcal infections.

scholarly journals Considerable Improvement of Ursolic Acid Water Solubility by Its Encapsulation in Dendrimer Nanoparticles: Design, Synthesis and Physicochemical Characterization

Nanomaterials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 2196 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvana Alfei ◽  
Anna Maria Schito ◽  
Guendalina Zuccari
Keyword(s):  
Ursolic Acid ◽  
Water Solubility ◽  
Drug Loading ◽  
Physicochemical Characterization ◽  
Systemic Toxicity ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Design Synthesis ◽  
Pentacyclic Triterpenoid

Ursolic acid (UA) is a pentacyclic triterpenoid found in many medicinal plants and aromas endowed with numerous in vitro pharmacological activities, including antibacterial effects. Unfortunately, UA is poorly administered in vivo, due to its water insolubility, low bioavailability, and residual systemic toxicity, thus making urgent the development of water-soluble UA formulations. Dendrimers are nonpareil macromolecules possessing highly controlled size, shape, and architecture. In dendrimers with cationic surface, the contemporary presence of inner cavities and of hydrophilic peripheral functions, allows to encapsulate hydrophobic non-water-soluble drugs as UA, to enhance their water-solubility and stability, and to promote their protracted release, thus decreasing their systemic toxicity. In this paper, aiming at developing a new UA-based antibacterial agent administrable in vivo, we reported the physical entrapment of UA in a biodegradable not cytotoxic cationic dendrimer (G4K). UA-loaded dendrimer nanoparticles (UA-G4K) were obtained, which showed a drug loading (DL%) much higher than those previously reported, a protracted release profile governed by diffusion mechanisms, and no cytotoxicity. Also, UA-G4K was characterized by principal components analysis (PCA)-processed FTIR spectroscopy, by NMR and elemental analyses, and by dynamic light scattering experiments (DLS). The water solubility of UA-G4K was found to be 1868-fold times higher than that of pristine UA, thus making its clinical application feasible.

scholarly journals Pyrazole-Based Water-Soluble Dendrimer Nanoparticles as a Potential New Agent against Staphylococci

Biomedicines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 17
Author(s):  
Silvana Alfei ◽  
Chiara Brullo ◽  
Debora Caviglia ◽  
Gabriella Piatti ◽  
Alessia Zorzoli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antimicrobial Agents ◽  
Water Solubility ◽  
Therapeutic Option ◽  
Human Keratinocytes ◽  
Biological Properties ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Skin Infections ◽  
Resistance Patterns ◽  
Staphylococcal Skin Infections

Although the antimicrobial potency of the pyrazole nucleus is widely reported, the antimicrobial effects of the 2-(4-bromo-3,5-diphenyl-pyrazol-1-yl)-ethanol (BBB4), found to be active against several other conditions, have never been investigated. Considering the worldwide need for new antimicrobial agents, we thought it noteworthy to assess the minimum inhibitory concentration (MICs) of BBB4 but, due to its scarce water-solubility, unequivocal determinations were tricky. To obtain more reliable MICs and to obtain a substance also potentially applicable in vivo, we recently prepared water-soluble, BBB4-loaded dendrimer nanoparticles (BBB4-G4K NPs), which proved to have physicochemical properties suitable for clinical application. Here, with the aim of developing a new antibacterial agent based on BBB4, the BBB4-G4K NPs were tested on several strains of different species of the Staphylococcus genus. Very low MICs (1.5–3.0 µM), 15.5–124.3-fold lower than those of the free BBB4, were observed against several isolates of S. aureus and S. epidermidis, the most pathogenic species of this genus, regardless of their resistance patterns to antibiotics. Aiming at hypothesizing a clinical use of BBB4-G4K NPs for staphylococcal skin infections, cytotoxicity experiments on human keratinocytes were performed; it was found that the nano-manipulated BBB4 released from BBB4-G4K NPs (LD50 138.6 µM) was 2.5-fold less cytotoxic than the untreated BBB4 (55.9 µM). Due to its physicochemical and biological properties, BBB4-G4K NPs could be considered as a promising novel therapeutic option against the very frequent staphylococcal skin infections.

scholarly journals Pharmacodynamic Analysis of the Activity of Quinupristin-Dalfopristin against Vancomycin-ResistantEnterococcus faecium with Differing MBCs via Time-Kill-Curve and Postantibiotic Effect Methods

1998 ◽  
Vol 42 (9) ◽  
pp. 2188-2192 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey R. Aeschlimann ◽  
Michael J. Rybak
Keyword(s):  
Antibacterial Activities ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Postantibiotic Effect ◽  
Curve Method ◽  
Highly Correlated ◽  
Kill Curve ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Time Kill

ABSTRACT Quinupristin-dalfopristin (Q-D) is a new water-soluble, semisynthetic antibiotic that is derived from natural streptogramins and that is combined in a 30:70 ratio. A number of studies have described the pharmacodynamic properties of this drug, but most have investigated only staphylococci or streptococci. We evaluated the relationship between Q-D, quinupristin (Q), and/or dalfopristin (D) susceptibility parameters and antibacterial activities against 22 clinical isolates of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREF) by using the concentration-time-kill-curve method and by measuring postantibiotic effects. Q-D, Q, and D MICs and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) ranged from 0.125 to 1 and 0.25 to 64, 8 to 512 and >512, and 2 to 8 and 8 to 512 μg/ml, respectively. There were no significant relationships between susceptibilities to the individual components and the susceptibilities to the Q-D combination product. In the time-kill-curves studies, Q-D at a concentration of 6 μg/ml was at least bacteriostatic against all VREF tested. There was increased activity against more susceptible isolates when the isolates were grouped either by Q-D MBCs or by Q MICs. By multivariate regression analyses, the percent change in the inoculum from that at the baseline was significantly correlated with the Q MIC (R = 0.74; P = 0.008) and the Q-D concentration-to-MBC ratio (R = 0.58;P = 0.02) and was inversely correlated with the Q-D MBC-to-MIC ratio (R = 0.68; P = 0.003). A strong correlation existed between the killing rate and the Q-D concentration-to-MBC ratio (R = 0.99;P < 0.0001). Time to 99.9% killing was best correlated with the Q-D MBC (R = 0.96;P < 0.0001). The postantibiotic effect ranged from 0.2 to 3.2 h and was highly correlated with the Q-D concentration-to-MBC ratio (R = 0.96;P < 0.0001) and was less highly correlated with the Q MIC (R = 0.42; P = 0.04). Further study of these relationships with in vitro or in vivo infection models that simulate Q-D pharmacokinetics should further define the utility of these pharmacodynamic parameters in the prediction of Q-D activity for the treatment of VREF infections in humans.

scholarly journals Tedizolid is a promising antimicrobial option for the treatment of Staphylococcus aureus infections in cystic fibrosis patients

2019 ◽  
Vol 75 (1) ◽  
pp. 126-134
Author(s):  
Melanie Roch ◽  
Maria Celeste Varela ◽  
Agustina Taglialegna ◽  
Adriana E Rosato
Keyword(s):  
Cystic Fibrosis ◽  
Staphylococcus Aureus ◽  
Therapeutic Option ◽  
Protein Synthesis Inhibitor ◽  
Synthesis Inhibitor ◽  
Small Colony Variant ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Time Kill

Abstract Background Tedizolid is a protein synthesis inhibitor in clinical use for the treatment of Gram-positive infections. Pulmonary MRSA infections are a growing problem in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) and the efficacy of tedizolid-based therapy in CF pulmonary infections is unknown. Objectives To evaluate the in vitro and in vivo activity of tedizolid and predict the likelihood of tedizolid resistance selection in CF-background Staphylococcus aureus strains. Methods A collection of 330 S. aureus strains (from adult and paediatric patients), either of normal or small colony variant (SCV) phenotypes, gathered at three CF centres in the USA was used. Tedizolid activity was assessed by broth microdilution, Etest and time–kill analysis. In vivo tedizolid efficacy was tested in a murine pneumonia model. Tedizolid in vitro mutants were obtained by 40 days of exposure and progressive passages. Whole genome sequencing of clinical S. aureus strains with reduced susceptibility to tedizolid was performed. Results MRSA strain MIC90s were tedizolid 0.12–0.25 mg/L and linezolid 1–2 mg/L; for MSSA strains, MIC90s were tedizolid 0.12 mg/L and linezolid 1–2 mg/L. Two strains, WIS 441 and Seattle 106, with tedizolid MICs of 2 mg/L and 1 mg/L, respectively, had MICs above the FDA tedizolid breakpoint (0.5 mg/L). Tedizolid at free serum concentrations exhibited a bacteriostatic effect. Mean bacterial burdens in lungs (log10 cfu/g) for WIS 423-infected mice were: control, 11.2±0.5; tedizolid-treated (10 mg/kg), 3.40±1.87; linezolid-treated (40 mg/kg), 4.51±2.1; and vancomycin-treated (30 mg/kg), 5.21±1.93. For WIS 441-infected mice the (log10 cfu/g) values were: control, 9.66±0.8; tedizolid-treated, 3.18±1.35; linezolid-treated 5.94±2.19; and vancomycin-treated, 4.35±1.7. Conclusions These results suggest that tedizolid represents a promising therapeutic option for the treatment of CF-associated MRSA/MSSA infections, having potent in vivo activity and low resistance potential.

Comparative Killing Kinetics of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus by Bacitracin or Mupirocin

1996 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 178-180
Author(s):  
Edward K. Chapnick ◽  
Jeremy D. Gradon ◽  
Barry Kreiswirth ◽  
Larry I. Lutwick ◽  
Benjamin C. Schaffer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Staphylococcus Aureus ◽  
Lower Cost ◽  
In Vivo Studies ◽  
Methicillin Resistant ◽  
Log Reduction ◽  
Different Strains ◽  
Time Kill ◽  
Kinetics Of

AbstractThe in vitro activities of bacitracin and mupirocin were compared for seven different strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Six of seven strains showed bacitracin minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 0.5 to 1.0 units/mL, and all seven had mupirocin MICs of 0.5 to 2 μg/mL. Time-kill studies revealed 2.6- to 4.5-log reduction in 24 hours with strains susceptible to bacitracin (4 units/mL) and 0 to 2.2 reduction with mupirocin (16 μg/mL). Bacitracin should be considered further for in vivo studies because of enhanced bacteriocidal effect and lower cost.

scholarly journals Beneficial Effects of Ursolic Acid and Its Derivatives—Focus on Potential Biochemical Mechanisms in Cardiovascular Conditions

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 3900
Author(s):  
Jakub Erdmann ◽  
Marcin Kujaciński ◽  
Michał Wiciński
Keyword(s):  
Ursolic Acid ◽  
Cardiac Fibrosis ◽  
In Vivo Studies ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Pentacyclic Triterpenoid ◽  
Beneficial Impact ◽  
Biochemical Mechanisms ◽  
Oxide Synthase

Ursolic acid (UA) is a natural pentacyclic triterpenoid found in a number of plants such as apples, thyme, oregano, hawthorn and others. Several in vitro and in vivo studies have presented its anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic properties. The inhibition of NF-κB-mediated inflammatory pathways and the increased scavenging of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in numerous ways seem to be the most beneficial effects of UA. In mice and rats, administration of UA appears to slow down the development of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), especially atherosclerosis and cardiac fibrosis. Upregulation of endothelial-type nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and cystathionine-λ-lyase (CSE) by UA may suggest its vasorelaxant property. Inhibition of metalloproteinases activity by UA may contribute to better outcomes in aneurysms management. UA influence on lipid and glucose metabolism remains inconsistent, and additional studies are essential to verify its efficacy. Furthermore, UA derivatives appear to have a beneficial impact on the cardiovascular system. This review aims to summarize recent findings on beneficial effects of UA that may make it a promising candidate for clinical trials for the management of CVDs.

Curcuma longa and its derivative curcumin on Aspergillus infections: A systematic review

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kourosh Cheraghipour ◽  
Hossein Mahmoudvand ◽  
Pegah Shakib ◽  
Ali Sheikhian ◽  
Vahid Malekara ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biological Activities ◽  
Curcuma Longa ◽  
Biological Properties ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Antifungal Effect ◽  
Main Compound ◽  
Different Strains ◽  
Study Inclusion

Background and Purpose: Curcuma longa is one of the most important medicinal plants used in traditional medicine. Its main compound, curcumin, has been widely reported for its biological properties. Materials and Methods: In this review article, its antifungal properties with a focus on the different strains of Aspergillus are discussed. The study data were obtained from various databases, including Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, Embase and Google Scholar, which were published by December 2019. The main criterion for entering data into the survey data was access to the English abstract at the search stage. The keywords used in the search included C. longa, curcumin, antifungal effect and Aspergillus. Of the 2,500 studies in the initial search, only 15 were qualified for study inclusion, which 9 of them (60%) had performed on the effect of curcumin against Aspergillus spp. The other 6 studies (40%) had focused on the antifungal effect of C. longa. Moreover, 9 studies (60%) were performed in vitro, 4 studies (27%) in vivo and 2 studies (13%) both in vivo and in vitro. Results: Studies have shown that C. longa has a significant effect on the development of the majority of microorganisms. Its predominant metabolite, curcumin, plays a major role in C. longa's biological activities. Conclusion: Due to increased drug resistance, particularly antifungal, curcumin and its derivatives may be an appropriate option for the treatment of aspergillosis infections.

scholarly journals An Experimental Study on the Mechanical and Biological Properties of Bio-Printed Alginate/Halloysite Nanotube/Methylcellulose/Russian Olive-Based Scaffolds

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 643-655 ◽  
Author(s):  
Babak Roshangar Zineh ◽  
Mohammad Reza Shabgard ◽  
Leila Roshangar
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Biological Properties ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
In Vivo Studies ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Scanning Calorimetry ◽  
Halloysite Nanotube ◽  
Russian Olive

Purpose: Cartilage shows neither repairs nor regenerative properties after trauma or gradual wear and causes severe pain due to bones rubbing. Bioprinting of tissue-engineered artificial cartilage is one of the most fast-growing sciences in this area that can help millions of people against this disease. Methods: Bioprinting of proper bioscaffolds for cartilage repair was the main goal of this study. The bioprinting process was achieved by a novel composition consisting of alginate (AL), Halloysite nanotube (HNT), and methylcellulose (MC) prepared in bio-ink. Also, the effect of Russian olive (RO) in chondrocytes growth on bioscaffolds was also investigated in this work. Compressive, hardness and viscosity tests, Energy-Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDX), Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), water-soluble Tetrazolium (WST) assay, and also transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were carried out. Results: The results show that in constant concentrations of AL, MC, and RO (20 mg/ml AL, 20 mg/ml MC, and 10 mg/ml RO) when concentration of HNT increased from 10 mg/ml (T-7) to 20 mg/ml (T-8) compressive stiffness increased from 241±45 kPa to 500.66±19.50 kPa. Also, 20 mg/ml of AL in composition saved proper water content for chondrocyte growth and produced good viscosity properties for a higher printing resolution. Conclusion: RO increased chondrocytes living cell efficiency by 11% on bioprinted scaffolds in comparison with the control group without RO. Results obtained through in-vivo studies were similar to those of in-vitro studies. According to the results, T-7 bio-ink has good potential in bioprinting of scaffolds in cartilage repairs.

Fenofibrate Solid Dispersion for Improving Oral Bioavailability: Preparation, and Characterization and in vivo Evaluation

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 5102-5109
Author(s):  
Venu Madhav K ◽  
Somnath De ◽  
Chandra Shekar Bonagiri ◽  
Sridhar Babu Gummadi
Keyword(s):  
Oral Bioavailability ◽  
Oral Delivery ◽  
Solid Dispersions ◽  
In Vitro Release ◽  
Aqueous Solubility ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Scanning Calorimetry ◽  
In Vivo Evaluation

Fenofibrate (FN) is used in the treatment of hypercholesterolemia. It shows poor dissolution and poor oral bioavailability after oral administration due to high liphophilicity and low aqueous solubility. Hence, solid dispersions (SDs) of FN (FN-SDs) were develop that might enhance the dissolution and subsequently oral bioavailability. FN-SDs were prepared by solvent casting method using different carriers (PEG 4000, PEG 6000, β cyclodextrin and HP β cyclodextrin) in different proportions (0.25%, 0.5%, 0.75% and 1% w/v). FN-SDs were evaluated solubility, assay and in vitro release studies for the optimization of SD formulation. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis was performed for crystalline and morphology analysis, respectively. Further, optimized FN-SD formulation evaluated for pharmacokinetic performance in Wistar rats, in vivo in comparison with FN suspension.  From the results, FN-SD3 and FN-SD6 have showed 102.9 ±1.3% and 105.5±3.1% drug release, respectively in 2 h. DSC and PXRD studies revealed that conversion of crystalline to amorphous nature of FN from FT-SD formulation. SEM studies revealed the change in the orientation of FN when incorporated in SDs. The oral bioavailability FN-SD3 and FN-SD6 formulations exhibited 2.5-folds and 3.1-folds improvement when compared to FN suspension as control. Overall, SD of FN could be considered as an alternative dosage form for the enhancement of oral delivery of poorly water-soluble FN.

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