Abstract
The lysozyme-modified nanoparticles (LY@ZnO NPs) were synthesized by the reduction–oxidation method, and the morphology and structure of LY@ZnO were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microsclope (SEM), and particle size analysis. The antibacterial effects of LY@ZnO against Escherichia coli (E. coli, Gram-negative bacteria) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus, Gram-positive bacteria) were discussed by measuring the zone of inhibition (ZOI) and growth inhibition. The antimicrobial experiments showed that the LY@ZnO NPs possessed better antibacterial activity than ZnO. Besides, the antibacterial mechanism of LY@ZnO was also investigated, which was attributed to the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Furthermore, the toxicities of LY@ZnO in vivo and in vitro were discussed by the cell counting kit-8 method and animal experiments, showing that LY@ZnO possessed excellent biocompatibility. Finally, the therapeutic effect of LY@ZnO on a rat skin infection model caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was also studied, which exhibited good anti-infective activity. Our findings showed that LY@ZnO possessed remarkable antibacterial ability due to its excellent membrane permeability and small particle size. Besides, LY@ZnO also exhibited certain stability and great safety, which showed tremendous prospects for microbial infection in patients. It would also be helpful for a better understanding of the enzyme-modified nanomaterials against bacteria.
Highlights
Bacterial infections have always been the main threat to human health all over the world (Deusenbery et al, 2021)
The sizes of the LY@ZnO detected from the nanoparticle size analyzer were consistent with the TEM image and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis
The results showed that the OD values (E. coli and S. aureus) were increased fast when the bacteria was cultured with LB medium, meaning that the negative group did not possess any inhibition against bacteria
Summary
Bacterial infections have always been the main threat to human health all over the world (Deusenbery et al, 2021). According to the statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO), bacterial infections have been the leading cause of death in developing countries for the past decades (Eyvazi et al, 2020). The antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) that are developed due to antibiotic drug abuse have significantly threatened public health. The production of ARB (especially superbug) has affected the therapeutic effect of traditional antibiotics (Theuretzbacher et al, 2020). Researchers are dedicated to discover new drugs which can adequately inhibit bacterial growth and kill bacteria
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