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Antibiotics
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Nanoparticles as Antibacterial/Antibiofilm Agents
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Nanoparticles as Antibacterial/Antibiofilm Agents

A special issue of Antibiotics (ISSN 2079-6382). This special issue belongs to the section "Antimicrobial Materials and Surfaces".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2025 | Viewed by 16016

Special Issue Editor

Dr. J. Scott VanEpps

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
2. Biointerfaces Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
3. Weil Institute for Critical Care Research and Innovation, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
4. Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
Interests: sepsis; medical device infection; rapid bacterial detection; biofilms; antimicrobial susceptibility testing

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The first antibiotic, penicillin, was discovered in 1928. Since then, we have seen a tremendous improvement in global health and longevity. Unfortunately, emerging antimicrobial resistance is becoming one of the greatest threats to global human health and has the potential to plunge our society back into the pre-antibiotic era. Less than two decades after discovering penicillin, Alexander Fleming noted that “microbes become educated to resist penicillin”. Since then, the time from the development of a new class of antibiotics to the detection of resistance has consistently decreased. In addition, bacteria can form biofilms, which are equally as or more difficult to eradicate due to antibiotic and host immune tolerance. There are almost no clinically available antibiofilm agents. The current process for antimicrobial drug discovery is narrow in scope, slow, inefficient, expensive, and shows diminishing returns. Nanotechnology represents an exciting a new path to successfully manipulating the chemistry and structure of materials to modify bacterial growth and behavior. To be clear, in this context, such nanoparticles are not merely delivery vehicles, but active agents themselves. While multiple mechanisms of action of nanoparticles against pathogens have been described, the fundamental physics and chemistry linking various geometrical, chemical, and other nanoparticle-related features that cannot be observed in small molecules to specific actions is lacking. For this Special Issue, we seek papers describing the development of novel antibacterial or antibiofilm nanoparticles, including detailed descriptions of the nanoparticles as well as the chemistry and physics that link their features to their function. For this purpose, we consider nanoparticles to be active agents rather than a carrier or delivery system. 

Dr. J. Scott VanEpps
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Antibiotics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • nanoparticles
  • antibacterial
  • biofilm
  • mechanism
  • antibiotic resistance

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 2894 KiB  
Article
Cytotoxicity and Antibiofilm Activity of Silver-Polypropylene Nanocomposites
by Denise Bellisario, Loredana Santo, Fabrizio Quadrini, Maryam Hassiba, Nour Bader, Shazeda H. Chowdhury, Mohammad K. Hassan and Susu M. Zughaier
Antibiotics 2023, 12(5), 924; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics12050924 - 17 May 2023
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2058
Abstract
The development of biocompatible nanomaterials that interface with human skin and tissue is critical for advancing prosthetics and other therapeutic medical needs. In this perspective, the development of nanoparticles with cytotoxicity and antibiofilm properties and biocompatibility characteristics are important. Metallic silver (Ag) exhibits [...] Read more.
The development of biocompatible nanomaterials that interface with human skin and tissue is critical for advancing prosthetics and other therapeutic medical needs. In this perspective, the development of nanoparticles with cytotoxicity and antibiofilm properties and biocompatibility characteristics are important. Metallic silver (Ag) exhibits good biocompatibility, but it is often challenging to integrate it into a nanocomposite without compromising its antibiofilm properties for optimal applications. In this study, new polymer nanocomposites (PNCs) with ultra-low filling content (0.0023–0.046 wt%) of Ag nanoplates were manufactured and tested. The cytotoxicity and antibiofilm activity of different composites with polypropylene (PP) matrix were examined. At first, PNCs surface were analyzed by means of AFM (atomic force microscopy) with phase contrast evaluation and FTIR (Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy) to study the Ag nanoplates distribution. Subsequently, the cytotoxicity and growth properties of biofilms were assessed by MTT assay protocol and detection of nitric oxide radicals. Antibacterial and antibiofilm activities were measured against Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative bacteria (K. pneumoniae). The PNCs with silver exhibited antibiofilm activity although they did not inhibit regular planktonic bacterial growth. Moreover, the PNCs were not cytotoxic to mammalian cells and did not induce significant immune response. These features reveal the potential of the PNCs developed in this study for usage in fabrication of prosthetics and other smart structures for biomedical applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanoparticles as Antibacterial/Antibiofilm Agents)
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12 pages, 4873 KiB  
Article
Broad-Spectrum Antimicrobial Activity of Ultrafine (BiO)2CO3 NPs Functionalized with PVP That Can Overcome the Resistance to Ciprofloxacin, AgNPs and Meropenem in Pseudomonas aeruginosa
by Bishnu D. Pant, Nalin Abeydeera, Rabindra Dubadi, Min-Ho Kim and Songping D. Huang
Antibiotics 2023, 12(4), 753; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics12040753 - 14 Apr 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2064
Abstract
Although it has no known biochemical role in living organisms, bismuth has been used to treat syphilis, diarrhea, gastritis and colitis for almost a century due to its nontoxic nature to mammalian cells. When prepared via a top-down sonication route from a bulk [...] Read more.
Although it has no known biochemical role in living organisms, bismuth has been used to treat syphilis, diarrhea, gastritis and colitis for almost a century due to its nontoxic nature to mammalian cells. When prepared via a top-down sonication route from a bulk sample, bismuth subcarbonate (BiO)2CO3 nanoparticles (NPs) with an average size of 5.35 ± 0.82 nm exhibit broad-spectrum potent antibacterial activity against both the gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria including methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (DSSA), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), drug-susceptible Pseudomonas aeruginosa (DSPA) and multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (DRPA). Specifically, the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) are 2.0 µg/mL against DSSA and MRSA and 0.75 µg/mL against DSPA and DRPA. In sharp contrast to ciprofloxacin, AgNPs and meropenem, (BiO)2CO3 NPs show no sign of developing Bi-resistant phenotypes after 30 consecutive passages. On the other hand, such NPs can readily overcome the resistance to ciprofloxacin, AgNPs and meropenem in DSPA. Finally, the combination of (BiO)2CO3 NPs and meropenem shows a synergistic effect with the fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC) index of 0.45. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanoparticles as Antibacterial/Antibiofilm Agents)
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25 pages, 13238 KiB  
Article
One-Pot Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles Derived from Aqueous Leaf Extract of Ageratum conyzoides and Their Biological Efficacy
by Deepak Paramasivam, Balamuralikrishnan Balasubramanian, Ramya Suresh, Jayanthi Kumaravelu, Manon Mani Vellingiri, Wen-Chao Liu, Arun Meyyazhagan, Amer M. Alanazi, Kannan R. R. Rengasamy and Vijaya Anand Arumugam
Antibiotics 2023, 12(4), 688; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics12040688 - 1 Apr 2023
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3234
Abstract
The main objective of the present research work is to assess the biological properties of the aqueous plant extract (ACAE) synthesised silver nanoparticles from the herbal plant Ageratum conyzoides, and their biological applications. The silver nanoparticle syntheses from Ageratum conyzoides (Ac-AgNPs) were [...] Read more.
The main objective of the present research work is to assess the biological properties of the aqueous plant extract (ACAE) synthesised silver nanoparticles from the herbal plant Ageratum conyzoides, and their biological applications. The silver nanoparticle syntheses from Ageratum conyzoides (Ac-AgNPs) were optimised with different parameters, such as pH (2, 4, 6, 8 and 10) and varied silver nitrate concentration (1 mM and 5 mM). Based on the UV–vis spectroscopy analysis of the synthesised silver nanoparticles, the concentration of 5 mM with the pH at 8 was recorded as the peak reduction at 400 nm; and these conditions were optimized were used for further studies. The results of the FE-SEM analysis recorded the size ranges (~30–90 nm), and irregular spherical and triangular shapes of the AC-AgNPs were captured. The characterization reports of the HR-TEM investigation of AC-AgNPs were also in line with the FE-SEM studies. The antibacterial efficacies of AC-AgNPs have revealed the maximum zone of inhibition against S. typhi to be within 20 mm. The in vitro antiplasmodial activity of AC-AgNPs is shown to have an effective antiplasmodial property (IC50:17.65 μg/mL), whereas AgNO3 has shown a minimum level of IC50: value 68.03 μg/mL, and the Ac-AE showed >100 μg/mL at 24 h of parasitaemia suppression. The α-amylase inhibitory properties of AC-AgNPs have revealed a maximum inhibition similar to the control Acarbose (IC50: 10.87 μg/mL). The antioxidant activity of the AC-AgNPs have revealed a better property (87.86% ± 0.56, 85.95% ± 1.02 and 90.11 ± 0.29%) when compared with the Ac-AE and standard in all the three different tests, such as DPPH, FRAP and H2O2 scavenging assay, respectively. The current research work might be a baseline for the future drug expansion process in the area of nano-drug design, and its applications also has a lot of economic viability and is a safer method in synthesising or producing silver nanoparticles. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanoparticles as Antibacterial/Antibiofilm Agents)
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Review

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22 pages, 3059 KiB  
Review
Nanoparticle-Based Nitric Oxide Donors: Exploring Their Antimicrobial and Anti-Biofilm Capabilities
by Gonzalo Tortella Fuentes, Paola Fincheira, Olga Rubilar, Sebastian Leiva, Ivette Fernandez, Mauricio Schoebitz, Milena T. Pelegrino, André Paganotti, Roberta Albino dos Reis and Amedea B. Seabra
Antibiotics 2024, 13(11), 1047; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics13111047 - 5 Nov 2024
Viewed by 739
Abstract
Background: Nitric oxide (NO) is an antimicrobial and anti-biofilm agent with significant potential for combating biofilm-associated infections and antibiotic resistance. However, owing to its high reactivity due to the possession of a free radical and short half-life (1–5 s), the practical application of [...] Read more.
Background: Nitric oxide (NO) is an antimicrobial and anti-biofilm agent with significant potential for combating biofilm-associated infections and antibiotic resistance. However, owing to its high reactivity due to the possession of a free radical and short half-life (1–5 s), the practical application of NO in clinical settings is challenging. Objectives: This review explores the development of NO-releasing nanoparticles that provide a controlled, targeted delivery system for NO, enhancing its antimicrobial efficacy while minimizing toxicity. The review discusses various NO donors, nanoparticle platforms, and how NO disrupts biofilm formation and eradicates pathogens. Additionally, we examine the highly encouraging and inspiring results of NO-releasing nanoparticles against multidrug-resistant strains and their applications in medical and environmental contexts. This review highlights the promising role of NO-based nanotechnologies in overcoming the challenges posed by increasing antibiotic resistance and biofilm-associated infections. Conclusions: Although NO donors and nanoparticle delivery systems show great potential for antimicrobial and anti-biofilm uses, addressing challenges related to controlled release, toxicity, biofilm penetration, resistance, and clinical application is crucial. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanoparticles as Antibacterial/Antibiofilm Agents)
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15 pages, 942 KiB  
Review
The Antimicrobial Applications of Nanoparticles in Veterinary Medicine: A Comprehensive Review
by Mariana Paiva Rodrigues, Priscila Natália Pinto, Raul Roque de Souza Dias, Gabriela Lago Biscoto, Lauranne Alves Salvato, Ruben Dario Sinisterra Millán, Ricardo Mathias Orlando and Kelly Moura Keller
Antibiotics 2023, 12(6), 958; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics12060958 - 25 May 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2244
Abstract
Nanoparticles (NPs) are nanoscaled particles sized from 1–100 nm, which can be composed of inorganic or organic compounds. NPs have distinctive morphology, size, structure, and surface features, which give them specific properties. These particular attributes make them interesting for biological and medical applications. [...] Read more.
Nanoparticles (NPs) are nanoscaled particles sized from 1–100 nm, which can be composed of inorganic or organic compounds. NPs have distinctive morphology, size, structure, and surface features, which give them specific properties. These particular attributes make them interesting for biological and medical applications. Due to these characteristics, researchers are studying the possible aptness of numerous nanoparticles in veterinary medicine, such as the capacity to act as a drug delivery system. The use of these NPs as a possible bactericidal or bacteriostatic medication has been studied against different bacteria, especially multiresistant strains and the ones that cause mastitis disease. The antibiofilm property of these nanostructures has also already been proved. The antiviral activity has also been shown for some important viral animal diseases; the antifungal activity had been demonstrated against both pathogenic and mycotoxigenic species. Therefore, this review aimed to elucidate the main clinical and preventive veterinary applications of inorganic and organic nanoparticles. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanoparticles as Antibacterial/Antibiofilm Agents)
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41 pages, 1705 KiB  
Review
Green Synthesis of Bioinspired Nanoparticles Mediated from Plant Extracts of Asteraceae Family for Potential Biological Applications
by Juhi Puthukulangara Jaison, Balamuralikrishnan Balasubramanian, Jaya Gangwar, Nilina James, Manikantan Pappuswamy, Arumugam Vijaya Anand, Naif Abdullah Al-Dhabi, Mariadhas Valan Arasu, Wen-Chao Liu and Joseph Kadanthottu Sebastian
Antibiotics 2023, 12(3), 543; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics12030543 - 8 Mar 2023
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 4671
Abstract
The Asteraceae family is one of the largest families in the plant kingdom with many of them extensively used for significant traditional and medicinal values. Being a rich source of various phytochemicals, they have found numerous applications in various biological fields and have [...] Read more.
The Asteraceae family is one of the largest families in the plant kingdom with many of them extensively used for significant traditional and medicinal values. Being a rich source of various phytochemicals, they have found numerous applications in various biological fields and have been extensively used for therapeutic purposes. Owing to its potential phytochemicals present and biological activity, these plants have found their way into pharmaceutical industry as well as in various aspects of nanotechnology such as green synthesis of metal oxide nanoparticles. The nanoparticles developed from the plants of Asteraceae family are highly stable, less expensive, non-toxic, and eco-friendly. Synthesized Asteraceae-mediated nanoparticles have extensive applications in antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, anticancer, antidiabetic, and photocatalytic degradation activities. This current review provides an opportunity to understand the recent trend to design and develop strategies for advanced nanoparticles through green synthesis. Here, the review discussed about the plant parts, extraction methods, synthesis, solvents utilized, phytochemicals involved optimization conditions, characterization techniques, and toxicity of nanoparticles using species of Asteraceae and their potential applications for human welfare. Constraints and future prospects for green synthesis of nanoparticles from members of the Asteraceae family are summarized. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanoparticles as Antibacterial/Antibiofilm Agents)
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