Natural Products for Antimicrobial and Antibiofilm Application

A special issue of Pharmaceutics (ISSN 1999-4923). This special issue belongs to the section "Nanomedicine and Nanotechnology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2022) | Viewed by 17501

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Naples, Italy
Interests: microbiology (interaction microorganism/host; antimicrobial effect of natural and sintetic molecules); biology; immunology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Department of Experimental Medicine, Section of University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", 80138 Naples, Italy
2. Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry "Scuola Medica Salernitana", University of Salerno, 84081 Baronissi, Italy
Interests: biofilm; antimicrobial activity; antimicrobial strategy; natural extract; biofilm degradation; biofilm formation; virology; microorganism-host interaction; antibiotics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue is entitled “Natural Product for Antimicrobial and Antibiofilm Applications".

Natural products represent promising starting points for the development of new drugs and therapeutic agents. The emergence of life-threatening bacterial, fungal, and viral infections and the growing resistance of pathogens to current treatment strategies highlight the need to develop new compounds to combat them, and many infectious diseases are difficult to eradicate due to biofilm formation by microbial agents. The best candidates are natural molecules with low toxicity and high bioavailability, usually derived from several natural sources, including plants, bacteria, algae, and fungi. The study of natural products is multidisciplinary and involves different fields of study such as biology, pharmacology, microbiology, chemistry, nutraceuticals, etc., which can help to better clarify the role of natural products. This Special Issue focuses on the antimicrobial and antibiofilm activity of natural products with the aim of illustrating the most recent and relevant developments in natural product research. We are pleased to invite authors to refer with original research articles or to review articles on multidisciplinary approaches related to the development of new and natural antimicrobial strategies. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following: biology, pharmacology, microbiology, chemistry, nutraceuticals.

I/We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Anna De Filippis
Dr. Biagio Santella
Guest Editors

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. Pharmaceutics 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

  • antimicrobial effect
  • natural molecules
  • biofilm eradication
  • microbiology
  • antimicrobial nutraceuticals
  • algae metabolites
  • antibacterial

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (5 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

17 pages, 3630 KiB  
Article
In Vitro Antibacterial and Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Arctostaphylos uva-ursi Leaf Extract against Cutibacterium acnes
by Federica Dell’Annunziata, Stefania Cometa, Roberta Della Marca, Francesco Busto, Veronica Folliero, Gianluigi Franci, Massimiliano Galdiero, Elvira De Giglio and Anna De Filippis
Pharmaceutics 2022, 14(9), 1952; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics14091952 - 15 Sep 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3392
Abstract
Cutibacterium acnes (C. acnes) is the main causative agent of acne vulgaris. The study aims to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of a natural product, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi leaf extract, against C. acnes. Preliminary chemical–physical characterization of the extract was carried out [...] Read more.
Cutibacterium acnes (C. acnes) is the main causative agent of acne vulgaris. The study aims to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of a natural product, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi leaf extract, against C. acnes. Preliminary chemical–physical characterization of the extract was carried out by means of FT-IR, TGA and XPS analyses. Skin permeation kinetics of the extract conveyed by a toning lotion was studied in vitro by Franz diffusion cell, monitoring the permeated arbutin (as the target component of the extract) and the total phenols by HPLC and UV-visible spectrophotometry, respectively. Antimicrobial activity and time-killing assays were performed to evaluate the effects of Arctostaphylos uva-ursi leaf extract against planktonic C. acnes. The influence of different Arctostaphylos uva-ursi leaf extract concentrations on the biofilm biomass inhibition and degradation was evaluated by the crystal violet (CV) method. The 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) test was used to determine the viability of immortalized human keratinocytes (HaCaT) after exposure to Arctostaphylos uva-ursi leaf extract for 24 and 48 h. Levels of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-8 and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α were quantified after HaCaT cells cotreatment with Arctostaphylos uva-ursi leaf extract and heat-killed C. acnes. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) which exerted a bacteriostatic action on 90% of planktonic C. acnes (MIC90) was 0.6 mg/mL. Furthermore, MIC and sub-MIC concentrations influenced the biofilm formation phases, recording a percentage of inhibition that exceeded 50 and 40% at 0.6 and 0.3 mg/mL. Arctostaphylos uva-ursi leaf extract disrupted biofilm biomass of 57 and 45% at the same concentrations mentioned above. Active Arctostaphylos uva-ursi leaf extract doses did not affect the viability of HaCaT cells. On the other hand, at 1.25 and 0.6 mg/mL, complete inhibition of the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines was recorded. Taken together, these results indicate that Arctostaphylos uva-ursi leaf extract could represent a natural product to counter the virulence of C. acnes, representing a new alternative therapeutic option for the treatment of acne vulgaris. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Products for Antimicrobial and Antibiofilm Application)
Show Figures

Figure 1

12 pages, 2176 KiB  
Article
Phage Therapy against Staphylococcus aureus: Selection and Optimization of Production Protocols of Novel Broad-Spectrum Silviavirus Phages
by Camille Kolenda, Mathieu Medina, Mélanie Bonhomme, Floriane Laumay, Tiphaine Roussel-Gaillard, Patricia Martins-Simoes, Anne Tristan, Fabrice Pirot, Tristan Ferry, Frédéric Laurent and PHAGEinLYON Study Group
Pharmaceutics 2022, 14(9), 1885; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics14091885 - 6 Sep 2022
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2935
Abstract
Background: Phage therapy a promising antimicrobial strategy to address antimicrobial resistance for infections caused by the major human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus. Development of therapeutic phages for human use should follow pharmaceutical standards, including selection of strictly lytic bacteriophages with high therapeutic potential [...] Read more.
Background: Phage therapy a promising antimicrobial strategy to address antimicrobial resistance for infections caused by the major human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus. Development of therapeutic phages for human use should follow pharmaceutical standards, including selection of strictly lytic bacteriophages with high therapeutic potential and optimization of their production process. Results: Here, we describe three novel Silviavirus phages active against 82% of a large collection of strains (n = 150) representative of various methicillin-susceptible and -resistant S. aureus clones circulating worldwide. We also investigated the optimization of the efficiency and safety of phage amplification protocols. To do so, we selected a well-characterized bacterial strain in order to (i) maximize phage production yields, reaching phage titres of 1011 PFU/mL in only 4 h; and (ii) facilitate phage purity while minimizing the risk of the presence of contaminants originating from the bacterial host; i.e., secreted virulence factors or induced temperate phages. Conclusions: In sum, we propose a quality-by-design approach for the amplification of broad-spectrum anti-S. aureus phages, facilitating the subsequent steps of the manufacturing process; namely, purification and quality control. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Products for Antimicrobial and Antibiofilm Application)
Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 12129 KiB  
Article
Phytopigment Alizarin Inhibits Multispecies Biofilm Development by Cutibacterium acnes, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans
by Jin-Hyung Lee, Yong-Guy Kim, Sunyoung Park, Liangbin Hu and Jintae Lee
Pharmaceutics 2022, 14(5), 1047; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics14051047 - 12 May 2022
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 2931
Abstract
Acne vulgaris is a common chronic inflammatory skin disease involving Cutibacterium acnes with other skin commensals such as Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans in the anaerobic and lipid-rich conditions of pilosebaceous units. These microbes readily form multispecies biofilms that are tolerant of traditional [...] Read more.
Acne vulgaris is a common chronic inflammatory skin disease involving Cutibacterium acnes with other skin commensals such as Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans in the anaerobic and lipid-rich conditions of pilosebaceous units. These microbes readily form multispecies biofilms that are tolerant of traditional antibiotics as well as host immune systems. The phytopigment alizarin was previously found to prevent biofilm formation by S. aureus and C. albicans strains under aerobic conditions. Hence, we hypothesized that alizarin might control C. acnes and multispecies biofilm development. We found that under anaerobic conditions, alizarin efficiently inhibited single biofilm formation and multispecies biofilm development by C. acnes, S. aureus, and C. albicans without inhibiting planktonic cell growth. Alizarin increased the hydrophilicities of S. aureus and C. albicans cells, decreased lipase production by S. aureus, diminished agglutination by C. acnes, and inhibited the aggregation of C. albicans cells. Furthermore, the co-administration of alizarin and antibiotics enhanced the antibiofilm efficacies of alizarin against C. acnes. A transcriptomic study showed that alizarin repressed the transcriptions of various biofilm-related genes such as lipase, hyaluronate lyase, adhesin/invasion-related, and virulence-related genes of C. acnes. Furthermore, alizarin at 100 µg/mL prevented C. acnes biofilm development on porcine skin. Our results show that alizarin inhibits multispecies biofilm development by acne-causing microbes and suggest it might be a useful agent for treating or preventing C. acnes-causing skin diseases. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Products for Antimicrobial and Antibiofilm Application)
Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 3417 KiB  
Article
Anti-Candida Properties of Gossypium hirsutum L.: Enhancement of Fungal Growth, Biofilm Production and Antifungal Resistance
by Luciene Ferreira de Lima, Jacqueline Cosmo Andrade-Pinheiro, Maria Audilene Freitas, Adriely Idalina da Silva, Victor Juno Alencar Fonseca, Taís Gusmão da Silva, Josefa Carolaine Pereira da Silva, Rosilaine Honorato de Lima, Débora Lima Sales, Rejane Pereira Neves, Edy Sousa de Brito, Paulo Riceli Vasconcelos Ribeiro, Kirley Marques Canuto, Henrique Douglas Melo Coutinho, Abolghasem Siyadatpanah, Bonglee Kim and Maria Flaviana Bezerra Morais-Braga
Pharmaceutics 2022, 14(4), 698; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics14040698 - 24 Mar 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2377
Abstract
(1) Background: Candida is a genus of yeasts with notable pathogenicity and significant ability to develop antimicrobial resistance. Gossypium hirsutum L., a medicinal plant that is traditionally used due to its antimicrobial properties, has demonstrated significant antifungal activity. Therefore, this study investigated the [...] Read more.
(1) Background: Candida is a genus of yeasts with notable pathogenicity and significant ability to develop antimicrobial resistance. Gossypium hirsutum L., a medicinal plant that is traditionally used due to its antimicrobial properties, has demonstrated significant antifungal activity. Therefore, this study investigated the chemical composition and anti-Candida effects of aqueous (AELG) and hydroethanolic (HELG) extracts obtained from the leaves of this plant. (2) Methods: The extracts were chemically characterized by UPLC–QTOF-MS/MS, and their anti-Candida activities were investigated by analyzing cell viability, biofilm production, morphological transition, and enhancement of antifungal resistance. (3) Results: The UPLC–QTOF-MS/MS analysis revealed the presence of twenty-one compounds in both AELG and HELG, highlighting the predominance of flavonoids. The combination of the extracts with fluconazole significantly reduced its IC50 values against Candida albicans INCQS 40006, Candida tropicalis INCQS 40042, and C. tropicalis URM 4262 strains, indicating enhanced antifungal activity. About biofilm production, significant inhibition was observed only for the AELG-treated C. tropicalis URM 4262 strain in comparison with the untreated control. Accordingly, this extract showed more significant inhibitory effects on the morphological transition of the INCQS 40006 and URM 4387 strains of C. albicans (4) Conclusions: Gossypium hirsutum L. presents promising antifungal effects, that may be potentially linked to the combined activity of chemical constituents identified in its extracts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Products for Antimicrobial and Antibiofilm Application)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

18 pages, 714 KiB  
Review
Royal Jelly as a Nutraceutical Natural Product with a Focus on Its Antibacterial Activity
by Lilla Bagameri, Gabriela-Maria Baci and Daniel Severus Dezmirean
Pharmaceutics 2022, 14(6), 1142; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics14061142 - 27 May 2022
Cited by 23 | Viewed by 4872
Abstract
Royal jelly (RJ) is one of the most valued natural products and is known for its health-promoting properties. Due to its therapeutic effects, it has been used in medicine since antiquity. Nowadays, several studies indicate that RJ acts as a powerful antimicrobial agent. [...] Read more.
Royal jelly (RJ) is one of the most valued natural products and is known for its health-promoting properties. Due to its therapeutic effects, it has been used in medicine since antiquity. Nowadays, several studies indicate that RJ acts as a powerful antimicrobial agent. Indeed, researchers shed light on its antioxidant and anticancer activity. RJ’s biological properties are related to its bioactive compounds, such as proteins, peptides, phenolic, and fatty acids. The aim of this review is to highlight recent findings on RJ’s main bioactive compounds correlated with its health-promoting properties. The available literature suggests that these bioactive compounds can be used as an alternative approach in order to enhance human health. Moreover, throughout this paper, we underline the prominent antibacterial effect of RJ against several target bacterial strains. In addition, we briefly discuss other therapeutic activities, such as antioxidative and anticancer effects, of this outstanding natural product. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Products for Antimicrobial and Antibiofilm Application)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop