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New Types of Antimicrobial Biocides
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New Types of Antimicrobial Biocides

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Pharmacology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 May 2024 | Viewed by 6413

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Irena Maliszewska

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Organic and Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, 50-370 Wrocław, Poland
Interests: synthesis of metallic nanoparticles; nanofibers; antimicrobial activity; photodynamic therapy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Biocides is the general name for substances that have the ability to fight harmful organisms. The word "biocide" comes from the Latin words "bio" ("life") and "cidere" ("kill").

Biocides are widely used in healthcare and various industries to combat infection and microbial contamination. Ineffective surface disinfection can result in the persistence of pathogenic microorganisms on inanimate surfaces, often contributing to the transmission of infectious agents. The excessive use of biocides results in significant environmental and economic impact.The misuse of these substances and the escalation of doses (as a means of overcoming microbial resistance) poses a threat to public health.

In an era where infection control is seen as a key method of preventing the transmission of antimicrobial-resistant microorganisms, the effectiveness of biocides must be maintained. Therefore, the search for new active substances should take into account the importance of strategies to avoid the cross-resistance of microorganisms to biocides and antibiotics.

Prof. Dr. Irena Maliszewska
Guest Editor

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. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. 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

  • biocides
  • pathogen
  • cross-resistance
  • infection

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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27 pages, 5252 KiB  
Article
A Combination of β-Aescin and Newly Synthesized Alkylamidobetaines as Modern Components Eradicating the Biofilms of Multidrug-Resistant Clinical Strains of Candida glabrata
by Emil Paluch, Olga Bortkiewicz, Jarosław Widelski, Anna Duda-Madej, Michał Gleńsk, Urszula Nawrot, Łukasz Lamch, Daria Długowska, Beata Sobieszczańska and Kazimiera A. Wilk
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(5), 2541; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25052541 - 22 Feb 2024
Viewed by 676
Abstract
The current trend in microbiological research aimed at limiting the development of biofilms of multidrug-resistant microorganisms is increasingly towards the search for possible synergistic effects between various compounds. This work presents a combination of a naturally occurring compound, β-aescin, newly synthesized alkylamidobetaines (AABs) [...] Read more.
The current trend in microbiological research aimed at limiting the development of biofilms of multidrug-resistant microorganisms is increasingly towards the search for possible synergistic effects between various compounds. This work presents a combination of a naturally occurring compound, β-aescin, newly synthesized alkylamidobetaines (AABs) with a general structure—CnTMDAB, and antifungal drugs. The research we conducted consists of several stages. The first stage concerns determining biological activity (antifungal) against selected multidrug-resistant strains of Candida glabrata (C. glabrata) with the highest ability to form biofilms. The second stage of this study determined the activity of β-aescin combinations with antifungal compounds and alkylamidobetaines. In the next stage of this study, the ability to eradicate a biofilm on the polystyrene surface of the combination of β-aescin with alkylamidobetaines was examined. It has been shown that the combination of β-aescin and alkylamidobetaine can firmly remove biofilms and reduce their viability. The last stage of this research was to determine the safety regarding the cytotoxicity of both β-aescin and alkylamidobetaines. Previous studies on the fibroblast cell line have shown that C9 alkylamidobetaine can be safely used as a component of anti-biofilm compounds. This research increases the level of knowledge about the practical possibilities of using anti-biofilm compounds in combined therapies against C. glabrata. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Types of Antimicrobial Biocides)
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15 pages, 3798 KiB  
Article
Abietic Acid as a Novel Agent against Ocular Biofilms: An In Vitro and Preliminary In Vivo Investigation
by Monika Dzięgielewska, Marzenna Bartoszewicz, Marta Książczyk, Bartłomiej Dudek, Malwina Brożyna, Patrycja Szymczyk-Ziółkowska, Piotr Gruber, Jacek Pawlak, Weronika Kozłowska, Sylwia Zielińska, Jędrzej Fischer, Aleksandra Woytoń and Adam Junka
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(3), 1528; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25031528 - 26 Jan 2024
Viewed by 883
Abstract
Biofilm-related ocular infections can lead to vision loss and are difficult to treat with antibiotics due to challenges with application and increasing microbial resistance. In turn, the design and testing of new synthetic drugs is a time- and cost-consuming process. Therefore, in this [...] Read more.
Biofilm-related ocular infections can lead to vision loss and are difficult to treat with antibiotics due to challenges with application and increasing microbial resistance. In turn, the design and testing of new synthetic drugs is a time- and cost-consuming process. Therefore, in this work, for the first time, we assessed the in vitro efficacy of the plant-based abietic acid molecule, both alone and when introduced to a polymeric cellulose carrier, against biofilms formed by Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Candida albicans in standard laboratory settings as well as in a self-designed setting using the topologically challenging surface of the artificial eye. These analyses were performed using the standard microdilution method, the biofilm-oriented antiseptic test (BOAT), a modified disk-diffusion method, and eyeball models. Additionally, we assessed the cytotoxicity of abietic acid against eukaryotic cell lines and its anti-staphylococcal efficacy in an in vivo model using Galleria mellonella larvae. We found that abietic acid was more effective against Staphylococcus than Pseudomonas (from two to four times, depending on the test applied) and that it was generally more effective against the tested bacteria (up to four times) than against the fungus C. albicans at concentrations non-cytotoxic to the eukaryotic cell lines and to G. mellonella (256 and 512 µg/mL, respectively). In the in vivo infection model, abietic acid effectively prevented the spread of staphylococcus throughout the larvae organisms, decreasing their lethality by up to 50%. These initial results obtained indicate promising features of abietic acid, which may potentially be applied to treat ocular infections caused by pathogenic biofilms, with higher efficiency manifested against bacterial than fungal biofilms. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Types of Antimicrobial Biocides)
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18 pages, 1885 KiB  
Article
Silver and Antimicrobial Polymer Nanocomplexes to Enhance Biocidal Effects
by Diana Pereira, Susana Ferreira, Gloria Belén Ramírez-Rodríguez, Nuno Alves, Ângela Sousa and Joana F. A. Valente
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(2), 1256; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25021256 - 19 Jan 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 846
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance has become a major problem over the years and threatens to remain in the future, at least until a solution is found. Silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) and antimicrobial polymers (APs) are known for their antimicrobial properties and can be considered an alternative [...] Read more.
Antimicrobial resistance has become a major problem over the years and threatens to remain in the future, at least until a solution is found. Silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) and antimicrobial polymers (APs) are known for their antimicrobial properties and can be considered an alternative approach to fighting resistant microorganisms. Hence, the main goal of this research is to shed some light on the antimicrobial properties of Ag-NPs and APs (chitosan (CH), poly-L-lysine (PLL), ε-poly-L-lysine (ε-PLL), and dopamine (DA)) when used alone and complexed to explore the potential enhancement of the antimicrobial effect of the combination Ag-NPs + Aps. The resultant nanocomplexes were chemically and morphologically characterized by UV-visible spectra, zeta potential, transmission electron microscopy, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. Moreover, the Ag-NPs, APs, and Ag-NPs + APs nanocomplexes were tested against Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and the Gram-negative Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria, as well as the fungi Candida albicans (C. albicans). Overall, the antimicrobial results showed potentiation of the activity of the nanocomplexes with a focus on C. albicans. For the biofilm eradication ability, Ag-NPs and Ag-NPs + DA were able to significantly remove S. aureus preformed biofilm, and Ag-NPs + CH were able to significantly destroy C. albicans biofilm, with both performing better than Ag-NPs alone. Overall, we have proven the successful conjugation of Ag-NPs and APs, with some of these formulations showing potential to be further investigated for the treatment of microbial infections. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Types of Antimicrobial Biocides)
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14 pages, 1371 KiB  
Article
Testing Antimicrobial Properties of Human Lactoferrin-Derived Fragments
by Michał Ostrówka, Anna Duda-Madej, Filip Pietluch, Paweł Mackiewicz and Przemysław Gagat
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(13), 10529; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms241310529 - 23 Jun 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1487
Abstract
Lactoferrin, an iron-binding glycoprotein, plays a significant role in the innate immune system, with antibacterial, antivirial, antifungal, anticancer, antioxidant and immunomodulatory functions reported. It is worth emphasizing that not only the whole protein but also its derived fragments possess antimicrobial peptide (AMP) activity. [...] Read more.
Lactoferrin, an iron-binding glycoprotein, plays a significant role in the innate immune system, with antibacterial, antivirial, antifungal, anticancer, antioxidant and immunomodulatory functions reported. It is worth emphasizing that not only the whole protein but also its derived fragments possess antimicrobial peptide (AMP) activity. Using AmpGram, a top-performing AMP classifier, we generated three novel human lactoferrin (hLF) fragments: hLF 397-412, hLF 448-464 and hLF 668-683, predicted with high probability as AMPs. For comparative studies, we included hLF 1-11, previously confirmed to kill some bacteria. With the four peptides, we treated three Gram-negative and three Gram-positive bacterial strains. Our results indicate that none of the three new lactoferrin fragments have antimicrobial properties for the bacteria tested, but hLF 1-11 was lethal against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The addition of serine protease inhibitors with the hLF fragments did not enhance their activity, except for hLF 1-11 against P. aeruginosa, which MIC dropped from 128 to 64 µg/mL. Furthermore, we investigated the impact of EDTA with/without serine protease inhibitors and the hLF peptides on selected bacteria. We stress the importance of reporting non-AMP sequences for the development of next-generation AMP prediction models, which suffer from the lack of experimentally validated negative dataset for training and benchmarking. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Types of Antimicrobial Biocides)
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Review

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32 pages, 5561 KiB  
Review
On the Possibility of Using 5-Aminolevulinic Acid in the Light-Induced Destruction of Microorganisms
by Anna Zdubek and Irena Maliszewska
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(7), 3590; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25073590 - 22 Mar 2024
Viewed by 668
Abstract
Antimicrobial photodynamic inactivation (aPDI) is a method that specifically kills target cells by combining a photosensitizer and irradiation with light at the appropriate wavelength. The natural amino acid, 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA), is the precursor of endogenous porphyrins in the heme biosynthesis pathway. This [...] Read more.
Antimicrobial photodynamic inactivation (aPDI) is a method that specifically kills target cells by combining a photosensitizer and irradiation with light at the appropriate wavelength. The natural amino acid, 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA), is the precursor of endogenous porphyrins in the heme biosynthesis pathway. This review summarizes the recent progress in understanding the biosynthetic pathways and regulatory mechanisms of 5-ALA synthesis in biological hosts. The effectiveness of 5-ALA-aPDI in destroying various groups of pathogens (viruses, fungi, yeasts, parasites) was presented, but greater attention was focused on the antibacterial activity of this technique. Finally, the clinical applications of 5-ALA in therapies using 5-ALA and visible light (treatment of ulcers and disinfection of dental canals) were described. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Types of Antimicrobial Biocides)
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44 pages, 4968 KiB  
Review
Bioactive Compounds from Plant Origin as Natural Antimicrobial Agents for the Treatment of Wound Infections
by Katarzyna Pacyga, Paweł Pacyga, Ewa Topola, Szymon Viscardi and Anna Duda-Madej
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(4), 2100; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25042100 - 08 Feb 2024
Viewed by 1381
Abstract
The rising prevalence of drug-resistant bacteria underscores the need to search for innovative and nature-based solutions. One of the approaches may be the use of plants that constitute a rich source of miscellaneous compounds with a wide range of biological properties. This review [...] Read more.
The rising prevalence of drug-resistant bacteria underscores the need to search for innovative and nature-based solutions. One of the approaches may be the use of plants that constitute a rich source of miscellaneous compounds with a wide range of biological properties. This review explores the antimicrobial activity of seven bioactives and their possible molecular mechanisms of action. Special attention was focused on the antibacterial properties of berberine, catechin, chelerythrine, cinnamaldehyde, ellagic acid, proanthocyanidin, and sanguinarine against Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus spp., Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Escherichia coli, Serratia marcescens and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The growing interest in novel therapeutic strategies based on new plant-derived formulations was confirmed by the growing number of articles. Natural products are one of the most promising and intensively examined agents to combat the consequences of the overuse and misuse of classical antibiotics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Types of Antimicrobial Biocides)
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