Selenium Nanoparticles as Candidates for Antibacterial Substitutes and Supplements against Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria.

In recent years, multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria have increased rapidly, representing a major threat to human health. This problem has created an urgent need to identify alternatives for the treatment of MDR bacteria. The aim of this study was to identify the antibacterial activity of selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) and selenium nanowires (SeNWs) against MDR bacteria and assess the potential synergistic effects when combined with a conventional antibiotic (linezolid). SeNPs and SeNWs were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), zeta potential, and UV-visible analysis. The antibacterial effects of SeNPs and SeNWs were confirmed by the macro-dilution minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) test. SeNPs showed MIC values against methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA), methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant S. aureus (VRSA), and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) at concentrations of 20, 80, 320, and >320 µg/mL, respectively. On the other hand, SeNWs showed a MIC value of >320 µg/mL against all tested bacteria. Therefore, MSSA, MRSA, and VRSA were selected for the bacteria to be tested, and SeNPs were selected as the antimicrobial agent for the following experiments. In the time-kill assay, SeNPs at a concentration of 4X MIC (80 and 320 µg/mL) showed bactericidal effects against MSSA and MRSA, respectively. At a concentration of 2X MIC (40 and 160 µg/mL), SeNPs showed bacteriostatic effects against MSSA and bactericidal effects against MRSA, respectively. In the synergy test, SeNPs showed a synergistic effect with linezolid (LZD) through protein degradation against MSSA and MRSA. In conclusion, these results suggest that SeNPs can be candidates for antibacterial substitutes and supplements against MDR bacteria for topical use, such as dressings. However, for use in clinical situations, additional experiments such as toxicity and synergistic mechanism tests of SeNPs are needed.

Grapefruit Seed Extract as a Natural Derived Antibacterial Substance against Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria.

Multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria are increasing due to the abuse and misuse of antibiotics, and nosocomial infections by MDR bacteria are also increasing. The aim of this study was to identify new substances that can target MDR bacteria among 12 plant extracts that are known to have antibacterial effects. The experiments were performed by the disk diffusion test and microdilution minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) test, as described by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI). By screening against methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA), grapefruit seed extract (GSE) was selected from 12 plant extracts for subsequent experiments. GSE showed antibacterial effects against methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant S. aureus (VRSA) in the disk diffusion test. Even at the lowest concentration, GSE showed antibacterial activity in the microdilution MIC test. As a result, we can conclude that GSE is a naturally derived antibacterial substance that exhibits a favorable antibacterial effect even at a very low concentration, so it is a good candidate for a natural substance that can be used to prevent or reduce nosocomial infections as coating for materials used in medical contexts or by mixing a small amount with other materials.

Effect of surface treatment on the bioactivity of nickel-titanium.

In this paper, the bioactive properties of Ni-Ti alloy after different surface treatments were evaluated in different media (Hanks' balanced salt solution, Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium and osteogenic). Evaluation was performed on the basis of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy studies after immersing samples for up to 24h in the relevant media. This allowed assessment of the kinetics of Ca(2+) and P(5+) precipitation and early interaction of the media with surfaces. In addition, the surface free energy was measured and the influence of heat treatment on phase transformation temperatures and rate of nickel and titanium ion release was investigated. The most favourable bioactive properties were observed for simply ground Ni-Ti samples when evaluated in HBSS, which showed similar properties to reference positive samples (BioactiveTi). On the other hand, samples heat-treated at 600 degrees C showed very low levels of precipitation of Ca and P. Most interestingly, evaluation in the media containing organic components (protein, vitamins, antibiotics and drugs) revealed that bioactivity for all the samples was at the same level (except for the reference negative) irrespective of the surface preparation method. It demonstrated that organic components interact with the surface rapidly, forming a thin protein layer, and this altered the surface properties of the samples, making them bioactive. No significant difference in kinetics of the Ca(2+) and P(5+) precipitation were observed. Nevertheless, further ion release and chemical composition evaluation revealed that alkali treatment and spark oxidation cannot be considered as a useful for biomedical application due to very high levels of Ni in the top layer (alkali-treated) and high rate of Ni release (spark-oxidized and alkali-treated).

Processing, characterisation, and biocompatibility of zinc modified metaphosphate based glasses for biomedical applications.

Bulk and structural properties of zinc oxide (0 up to 20 mol%) containing phosphate glasses, developed for biomedical applications, were investigated throughout this study using differential thermal analysis (DTA), differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray powder diffraction and 31P and 23Na MAS NMR. Surface wettability and MG63 viability were also considered for surface characterisation of these glasses. The results indicated that incorporation of zinc oxide as a dopant into phosphate glasses produced a significant increase in density; however, the thermal properties presented in glass transition, and melting temperatures were reduced. NaZn(PO3)3 was detected in the X-Ray Powder Diffraction Analysis (XRD) trace of zinc containing glasses, and the proportion of this phase increased with increasing zinc oxide content. NaCa(PO3)3 as a second main phase and CaP2O6 in minor amounts were also detected. The 31P and 23Na MAS NMR results suggested that the relative abundances of the Q1 and Q2 phosphorus sites, and the local sodium environment were unaffected as CaO was replaced by ZnO in this system. The replacement of CaO with ZnO did seem to have the effect of increasing the local disorder of the Q2 metaphosphate chains, but less so for the Q1 chain-terminating sites which were already relatively disordered due to the proximity of modifying cations. Glasses with zinc oxide less than 5 mol% showed higher surface wettability, while those with 5 up to 20 mol% showed comparable wettability as zinc oxide free glasses. Regardless of the high hydrophilicity and surface reactivity of these zinc oxide containing glasses, they had lower biocompatibility, in particular 10-20 mol% ZnO, compared to both zinc free glasses and Thermanox. This may be associated with the release of significant amount of Zn2+ enough to be toxic to MG63.