Self-enhanced photothermal-chemodynamic antibacterial agents for synergistic anti-infective therapy

Cu_2-xS nanostructures have been intensively studied as outstanding chemodynamic therapy (CDT) and good photothermal therapy (PTT) antibacterial agents due to their highly efficient Cu(Ⅰ)-initiated Fenton-like catalytic activity and good photothermal conversion property. However, they still suffer from shortage of Cu(Ⅰ) supply in the long-term and comparatively low inherent photothermal conversion efficiency. Herein, we constructed a self-enhanced synergistic PTT/CDT nanoplatform (Cu_1.94S@MPN) by coating Cu_1.94S nanoparticles with Fe(Ⅲ)/tannic acid based metal-polyphenol networks (MPN). Activated by the acidic bacterial infection microenvironment, Cu_1.94S@MPN could be decomposed to continuously release Cu(Ⅱ), Fe(Ⅲ) ions and tannic acid. As the result of tannic acid-involved Cu and Fe redox cycling, Cu(Ⅰ)/Fe(Ⅱ)-rich CDT could be achieved through the highly accelerated catalytic Fenton/Fenton-like reactions. More importantly, experimental results demonstrated that Cu_1.94S@MPN exhibited both excellent photothermal antibacterial and photothermal-enhanced CDT properties to eradicate bacteria in vitro and in vivo. Overall, this novel nanotherapeutics has great potential to become a clinic candidate for anti-infective therapy in future.     

Polymers as advanced antibacterial and antibiofilm agents for direct and combination therapies

The growing prevalence of antimicrobial drug resistance in pathogenic bacteria is a critical threat to global health. Conventional antibiotics still play a crucial role in treating bacterial infections, but the emergence and spread of antibiotic-resistant micro-organisms are rapidly eroding their usefulness. Cationic polymers, which target bacterial membranes, are thought to be the last frontier in antibacterial development. This class of molecules possesses several advantages including a low propensity for emergence of resistance and rapid bactericidal effect. This review surveys the structure–activity of advanced antimicrobial cationic polymers, including poly(α-amino acids), β-peptides, polycarbonates, star polymers and main-chain cationic polymers, with low toxicity and high selectivity to potentially become useful for real applications. Their uses as potentiating adjuvants to overcome bacterial membrane-related resistance mechanisms and as antibiofilm agents are also covered. The review is intended to provide valuable information for design and development of cationic polymers as antimicrobial and antibiofilm agents for translational applications.

This review surveys the structure–activity of advanced antimicrobial cationic polymers with low toxicity and high selectivity. Their uses as potentiating adjuvants and as antibiofilm agents are also covered.     

Bacterial beta-ketoacyl-acyl carrier protein synthases as targets for antibacterial agents

As a result of increasing drug resistance in pathogenic bacteria, there is a critical need for novel broad-spectrum antibacterial agents. As fatty acid synthesis (FAS) in bacteria is an essential process for cell survival, the enzymes involved in the FAS pathway have emerged as promising targets for antimicrobial agents. Several lines of evidence have indicated that bacterial condensing enzymes are central to the initiation and elongation steps in bacterial fatty acid synthesis and play a pivotal role in the regulation of the entire fatty acid synthesis pathway. beta-ketoacyl-acyl carrier protein (ACP) synthases (KAS) from various bacterial species have been cloned, expressed and purified in large quantities for detailed enzymological, structural and screening studies. Availability of purified KAS from a variety of bacteria, along with a combination of techniques, including combinatorial chemistry, high-throughput screening, and rational drug design based on crystal structures, will undoubtedly aid in the discovery and development of much needed potent and broad-spectrum antibacterial agents. In this review we summarize the biochemical, biophysical and inhibition properties of beta-ketoacyl-ACP synthases from a variety of bacterial species.     

Antioxidant, total phenolic content and cytotoxicity evaluation of selected Malaysian plants

Aqueous and ethanol extracts of different traditional Malaysian plants (Polygonum minus, Andrographis paniculata, Curcuma xanthorrhiza, Momordica charantia and Strobilanthes crispus) were evaluated for their antioxidant properties, total phenolic content and cytotoxic activity. Antioxidant activity was evaluated by using 1,1-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays. The results showed that ethanol extracts contain high antioxidant activities compared to aqueous extracts. The findings exhibited a strong correlation between antioxidant activity and the total phenol contents. In addition, all the plant extracts showed non-toxic effects against a normal human lung fibroblast cell line (Hs888Lu). Although traditionally aqueous extracts are used, we determined that ethanol extracts usually achieved better activity in the assays.     

Preparation and properties of antibacterial ABS plastics based on polymeric quaternary phosphonium salts antibacterial agents

Antibacterial acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene (ABS) plastics were prepared by adding polymeric quaternary phosphonium salts as antibacterial agents through a double screw extruder. The novel polymeric quaternary phosphonium salts (PBrMAP‐n) with alkyl chain length ranging from 3 to 11 were synthesized, and their chemical structures were confirmed by Nuclear magnetic resonance hydrogen spectroscopy (¹H‐NMR) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR) spectra. The thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) results showed that all of the antibacterial agents had good thermal stability. The influence of addition amount as well as the alkyl chain length on mechanical properties and antibacterial properties was investigated. Compared with the pure ABS, all of PBrMAP‐n containing specimens had comparable tensile strength and flexural properties but reduced impact strength. Only samples with 10 wt% of PBrMAP‐11 exhibited more than 90% antibacterial efficiency against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus.     

Liquid chromatographic-mass spectrometric methods for analyzing antibiotic and antibacterial agents in animal food products

Public health agencies in many countries rely on detection by mass spectrometry for unambiguous identification of residues of antibiotic and antibacterial agents in animal food products for human consumption. The introduction of relatively inexpensive and robust LC-MS systems has given a strong impulse to develop determinative and confirmatory methods for the above medicines in foodstuffs. This impulse has been also dictated by thermal instability and lack of volatility of many antibiotics and antibacterials that makes the GC-MS technique of difficult application. Analytical methods developed for analyzing components of the major classes of the medicines mentioned above are here reviewed. The discussion is focused on both sample treatment and final LC-MS analysis.     

Embedded silver ions-containing liposomes in polyelectrolyte multilayers: cargos films for antibacterial agents

A new antibacterial coating made of poly(L-lysine)/hyaluronic acid (PLL/HA) multilayer films and liposome aggregates loaded with silver ions was designed. Liposomes filled with an AgNO 3 solution were first aggregated by the addition of PLL in solution. The obtained micrometer-sized aggregates were then deposited on a PLL/HA multilayer film, playing the role of a spacer with the support. Finally, HA/PLL/HA capping layers were deposited on top of the architecture to form a composite AgNO 3 coating. Release of encapsulated AgNO 3 from this composite coating was followed and triggered upon temperature increase over the transition temperature of vesicles, found to be equal to 34 degrees C. After determination of the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of AgNO 3 in solution, the antibacterial activity of the AgNO 3 coating was investigated against Escherichia coli. A 4-log reduction in the number of viable E. coli cells was observed after contact for 120 min with a 120 ng/cm (2) AgNO 3 coating. In comparison, no bactericidal activity was found for PLL/HA films previously dipped in an AgNO 3 solution and for PLL/HA films with liposome aggregates containing no AgNO 3 solution. The strong bactericidal effect could be linked to the diffusion of silver ions out of the AgNO 3 coating, leading to an important bactericidal concentration close to the membrane of the bacteria. A simple method to prepare antibacterial coatings loaded with a high and controlled amount of AgNO 3 is therefore proposed. This procedure is far superior to that soaking AgNO 3 or Ag nanoparticles into a coating. In principle, other small bactericidal chemicals like antibiotics could be encapsulated by this method. This study opens a new route to modify surfaces with small solutes that are not permeating phospholipid membranes below the phase transition temperature.     

Synthesis and biological evaluation of dihydrotriazine derivatives as potential antibacterial agents

A series of 1,4-dihydro-1,3,5-triazine derivatives were designed and synthesized and their antibacterial and antifungal activities were evaluated. Most of the synthesized compounds showed potent inhibition of several Gram-positive bacterial strains(including multidrug-resistant clinical isolates) and Gramnegative bacterial strains, with minimum inhibitory concentrations(MICs) in the range of 2.1–181.2 mmol/L. Compounds 7a and 7c presented the most potent inhibitory activities against Grampositive bacteria(e.g., Staphylococcus aureus 4220), Gram-negative bacteria(e.g., Escherichia coli 1924),and the fungus Candida albicans 7535, with MICs of 2.1 or 4.1 mmol/L. Especially, compound 7a was the most potent, with an MIC of 2.1 mmol/L against four multidrug-resistant, Gram-positive bacterial strains.The cytotoxic activity of the compound 7a, 7c and 7f was assessed in HepG2 cells, and the results suggest that 1,4-dihydro-1,3,5-triazine derivatives bearing a 6-benzyloxynaphthalen moiety are interesting scaffolds for the development of novel antibacterial agents.     

Polycations. III. Synthesis of polyphosphonium salts for use as antibacterial agents

Several series of polyphosphonium salts have been prepared. These include those in which the cationic sites are located at regular intervals along a linear chain of defined length (“strings”) and those in which the cationic sites are in linkages arrayed in branching arms about a central focus unit (“balloons”). Similarly, polyphosphonium balloon arrays have been attached to a polystyrene backbone providing a material that can serve as an anionic exchange resin. Several of the resultant materials have demonstrated antibacterial activity, in systems analogous to those previously reported for simple functionalized polystyrene species, and continue to be investigated. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 9:495–502, 1998     

Synthesis and molecular docking study of pyrazole clubbed oxazole as antibacterial agents

Research on Chemical Intermediates - We have developed a simple synthetic protocol for the preparation of novel 3-(3-(4-fluorophenyl)-1-phenyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)-5-arylisoxazoles. The structure of...     

Search for neutrons from cold nuclear fusion

An attempt was made to detect neutrons from the so-called cold nuclear fusion of deuterium in palladium and titanium, both saturated with deuterium: the palladium electrolytically and the titanium from gas phase. The measurements were performed in a tunnel located 30 m deep in limestone, using³He filled proportional counters surrounded by water for neutron moderation. In all cases the detected neutron flux was practically equal to the background level. Very low upper limits to the neutron source strength were obtained from this experiment: 2×10^–4 n.s^–1g^–1 Pd and 4.3×10^–4 n.s^–1g^–1 Ti on the 1 level.     

Search for bioactive compounds from Cantharellus cibarius

Ground fruit bodies of Cantharellus cibarius (chanterelle) were extracted with dichloromethane and subjected to CC followed by preparative HPLC, which led to the isolation of glycerol 1,2- and 1,3-dilinoleates and glycerol tridehydrocrepenynate. Extraction of C. cibarius fruit bodies with ethanol or methanol afforded fatty acid ethyl or methyl esters as a result of esterification/transesterification reactions. Insecticidal activity of the isolated glycerides and esters was much lower than that of the crude extracts and chromatographic fractions suggesting a synergistic effect of some of the compounds present in the mixture.     

A new coumarin and triterpenes from Malaysian Micromelum minutum

A new coumarin, 8,4'-dihydroxy-3',4'-dihydrocapnolactone-2',3'-diol (1) and two known triterpenes, 5(6)-gluten-3-one (2) and 5(6)-gluten-3alpha-ol (3) were isolated from the leaves of Micromelum minutum (Rutaceae) collected from Sepilok, Sabah, Malaysia and their structures were characterized by spectroscopic methods.     

Synthesis and evaluation of urea and thiourea derivatives of oxazolidinones as antibacterial agents

Urea and thiourea derivatives of oxazolidinones were synthesized and their inhibitory activity (MIC) was determined on the bacterial strains which includes clinical isolates and quality control organisms. The structure activity relationships were studied and a 3D-QSAR model was built using Genetic Function Approximation. Interestingly found that electron withdrawing groups at the ortho position of the phenyl ring enhances the activity.     

Inhibitor specificity via protein dynamics: insights from the design of antibacterial agents targeted against thymidylate synthase

Structure-based drug design of species-specific inhibitors generally exploits structural differences in proteins from different organisms. Here, we demonstrate how achieving specificity can be aided by targeting differences in the dynamics of proteins. Thymidylate synthase (TS) is a good target for anticancer agents and a potential target for antibacterial agents. Most inhibitors are folate-analogs that bind at the folate binding site and are not species specific. In contrast, alpha156 is not a folate-analog and is specific for bacterial TS; it has been shown crystallographically to bind in a nonconserved binding site. Docking calculations and crystal structure-based estimation of the essential dynamics of TSs from five different species show that differences in the dynamics of TSs make the active site more accessible to alpha156 in the prokaryotic than in the eukaryotic TSs and thereby enhance the specificity of alpha156.     

Ultrasound-assisted efficient synthesis of polyfunctional 1,2,4-triazoles as novel antibacterial and antioxidant agents

Novel 4,5-diphenyl-1H-imidazol-1-yl-1H-1,2,4-triazole derivatives were synthesized using a facile and highly efficient, one-pot, four-component procedure in the presence of KHSO₄ as an acidic catalyst under ultrasonic irradiations in short reaction times (10–25 min) and good to excellent yields (70–96%). The synthesized compounds were screened for their antibacterial activities against Gram-negative (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and Gram-positive (Bacillus subtilis, Micrococcus luteus) bacteria, and their antioxidant activity was also evaluated. Some of the products showed potential antibacterial and high antioxidant activities.