Abstract
The global rise of infectious disease outbreaks and the progression of microbial resistance reinforce the importance of researching new biomolecules. Obtained from the hydrolysis of chitosan, chitooligosaccharides (COSs) have demonstrated several biological properties, including antimicrobial, and greater advantage over chitosan due to their higher solubility and lower viscosity. Despite the evidence of the biotechnological potential of COSs, their effects on trypanosomatids are still scarce. The objectives of this study were the enzymatic production, characterization, and in vitro evaluation of the cytotoxic, antibacterial, antifungal, and antiparasitic effects of COSs. NMR and mass spectrometry analyses indicated the presence of a mixture with 81% deacetylated COS and acetylated hexamers. COSs demonstrated no evidence of cytotoxicity upon 2 mg/mL. In addition, COSs showed interesting activity against bacteria and yeasts and a time-dependent parasitic inhibition. Scanning electron microscopy images indicated a parasite aggregation ability of COSs. Thus, the broad biological effect of COSs makes them a promising molecule for the biomedical industry.
Highlights
The advance of antimicrobial resistance and the climate crisis outline an alarming scenario
This study reports the enzymatic hydrolysis of chitosan to produce a COS mixture using chitosanases obtained from B. toyonensis, identified and isolated earlier by our research group [34]
Following the evaluation of the broad antimicrobial effects of COSs on bacteria, yeast, and trypanosomatids T. cruzi and L. amazonensis in vitro, as well the morphological alterations on these parasites caused by COSs incubation, we aimed to confirm our hypothesis about the biological potential of these oligomers
Summary
The advance of antimicrobial resistance and the climate crisis outline an alarming scenario. Antimicrobial resistance is diminishing the treatment options for microbial diseases, such as bacteria, yeast, and parasites, leading to a post-antibiotic era [1,2]. Global warming can directly modify infectious diseases by affecting the pathogen, the hostvector relation, and the transmission environment. It would lead to a geographical expansion of vector-borne diseases, as well as a reduction in human immunity [3,4]. A rise in temperature would prompt a shorter life cycle of Trypanosoma cruzi, which impacts the transmission of Chagas disease [6]. Cases of Chagas disease have been registered in non-endemic areas, such as European countries, the United States, and Canada, as a result of migratory flows [7,8]
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