Bee chitosan nanoparticles loaded with apitoxin as a novel approach to eradication of common human bacterial, fungal pathogens and treating cancer

This study aimed to extract chitosan from the exoskeletons of dead bees and load it with bee venom (commercially available as Apitoxin [Api]). Then, the ionotropic gelation method would be used to form nanoparticles that could be a novel drug-delivery system that might eradicate eight common human pathogens (i.e., two fungal and six bacteria strains). It might also be used to treat the human colon cancer cell line (Caco2 ATCC ATP-37) and human liver cancer cell line (HepG2ATCC HB-8065) cancer cell lines. The x-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and dynamic light scattering (DLS) properties, ζ-potentials, and surface appearances of the nanoparticles were evaluated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). FTIR and XRD validated that the Api was successfully encapsulated in the chitosan nanoparticles (ChB NPs). According to the TEM, the ChB NPs and the ChB NPs loaded with Apitoxin (Api@ChB NPs) had a spherical shape and uniform size distribution, with non-aggregation, for an average size of approximately 182 and 274 ± 3.8 nm, respectively, and their Zeta potential values were 37.8 ± 1.2 mV and − 10.9 mV, respectively. The Api@ChB NPs had the greatest inhibitory effect against all tested strains compared with the ChB NPs and Api alone. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of the Api, ChB NPs, and Api@ChB NPs were evaluated against the offer mentioned colony forming units (CFU/mL), and their lowest MIC values were 30, 25, and...
Source: Frontiers in Microbiology - Category: Microbiology Source Type: research