Cardamom essential oil-loaded zinc oxide nanoparticles: A sustainable antimicrobial strategy against multidrug-resistant foodborne pathogens

IF 3.3 3区医学 Q3 IMMUNOLOGY

Microbial pathogenesis Pub Date : 2025-05-03 DOI:10.1016/j.micpath.2025.107661

Mabrouk Sobhy , Tamer Elsamahy , Esraa A. Abdelkarim , Ebtihal Khojah , Haiying Cui , Lin Lin

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

The globalization of the food trade has escalated challenges in ensuring food safety due to foodborne pathogens, including multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains, which pose significant public health risks and economic burdens. Innovative antimicrobial strategies are urgently required. In this study, cardamom essential oil-loaded zinc oxide nanoparticles (CEO-ZnO-NPs) were synthesized and evaluated for their antimicrobial potential and mechanisms of action against MDR Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Dynamic light scattering and the transmission electron microscopy (TEM) micrograph confirmed a spherical nanocomposite with an average size of 141.4 nm with good dispersion and stability over 180 days. Antimicrobial activity assessed via the agar well diffusion method showed dose-dependent inhibition, with zones of 25.75 ± 0.90 mm for E. coli and 31.05 ± 0.46 mm for S. aureus at 400 μg/mL. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) were 25 μg/mL (E. coli) and 12.5 μg/mL (S. aureus), while minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBC) were 50 μg/mL and 25 μg/mL, respectively. Kill-time analysis revealed a marked reduction in bacterial viability after 120 min of exposure. Mechanistic studies using scanning electron microscopy showed structural damage, including disrupted membranes and cell shrinkage. Also, protein levels significantly decreased, with DNA and ATP levels reduced by 74.51 % and 91.15 % in E. coli and 79.40 % and 90.81 % in S. aureus. Enzymatic activities, including ATPase and alkaline phosphatase, were inhibited by up to 84.63 %. In addition, the low cytotoxicity of CEO-ZnO-NPs against Vero cells supporting their potential biosafety for food safety applications. These findings demonstrate that CEO-ZnO-NPs disrupt bacterial processes such as protein synthesis, membrane integrity, and enzymatic activity, offering a promising approach that aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDGs 2, 3, and 12, while promoting circular economy principles by reducing reliance on synthetic preservatives to address antimicrobial resistance in foodborne pathogens.

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小豆蔻精油负载氧化锌纳米颗粒：针对多重耐药食源性病原体的可持续抗菌策略

由于包括耐多药菌株在内的食源性病原体构成重大的公共卫生风险和经济负担，食品贸易全球化加剧了确保食品安全方面的挑战。迫切需要创新的抗微生物策略。本研究合成了豆蔻精油负载氧化锌纳米颗粒（CEO-ZnO-NPs），并对其抗耐多药大肠杆菌和金黄色葡萄球菌的抑菌潜力和作用机制进行了评价。动态光散射和透射电子显微镜（TEM）显微照片证实了平均尺寸为141.4 nm的球形纳米复合材料，具有良好的分散性和180天的稳定性。在400 μg/mL浓度下，对大肠杆菌和金黄色葡萄球菌的抑制范围分别为25.75±0.90 mm和31.05±0.46 mm。最低抑菌浓度（MIC）分别为25 μg/mL（大肠杆菌）和12.5 μg/mL（金黄色葡萄球菌），最低杀菌浓度（MBC）分别为50 μg/mL和25 μg/mL。杀灭时间分析显示，暴露120分钟后，细菌活力显著降低。利用扫描电子显微镜进行的机械研究显示了结构损伤，包括膜破坏和细胞收缩。蛋白质水平也显著下降，其中DNA和ATP水平在大肠杆菌中分别下降了74.51%和91.15%，在金黄色葡萄球菌中分别下降了79.40%和90.81%。酶活性，包括atp酶和碱性磷酸酶，被抑制高达84.63%。此外，CEO-ZnO-NPs对Vero细胞的低细胞毒性支持其在食品安全应用中的潜在生物安全性。这些发现表明，CEO-ZnO-NPs破坏蛋白质合成、膜完整性和酶活性等细菌过程，提供了一种符合联合国可持续发展目标（sdg）的有希望的方法，特别是可持续发展目标2、3和12，同时通过减少对合成防腐剂的依赖来促进循环经济原则，以解决食源性病原体的抗菌素耐药性问题。

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来源期刊

Microbial pathogenesis 医学-免疫学

CiteScore

7.40

自引率

2.60%

发文量

472

审稿时长

56 days

期刊介绍： Microbial Pathogenesis publishes original contributions and reviews about the molecular and cellular mechanisms of infectious diseases. It covers microbiology, host-pathogen interaction and immunology related to infectious agents, including bacteria, fungi, viruses and protozoa. It also accepts papers in the field of clinical microbiology, with the exception of case reports. Research Areas Include: -Pathogenesis -Virulence factors -Host susceptibility or resistance -Immune mechanisms -Identification, cloning and sequencing of relevant genes -Genetic studies -Viruses, prokaryotic organisms and protozoa -Microbiota -Systems biology related to infectious diseases -Targets for vaccine design (pre-clinical studies)