Dual-label flow cytometry-based host cell adhesion assay to ascertain the prospect of probiotic Lactobacillus plantarum in niche-specific antibacterial therapy

Quinoxaline-based membrane-targeting therapeutic material: Implications in rejuvenating antibiotic and curb MRSA invasion in an in vitro bone cell infection model

Manifestation of resistance in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) against multiple antibiotics demands an effective strategy to counter the menace of the pathogen. To address this challenge, the current study explores quinoxaline-based synthetic ligands as an adjuvant material to target MRSA in a combination therapy regimen. Amongst the tested ligands (C1-C4), only C2 was bactericidal against the MRSA strain S. aureus 4 s, with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 32 μM. C2 displayed a membrane-directed activity and could effectively hinder MRSA biofilm formation. A quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis indicated that C2 downregulated expression of the regulator gene agrC and reduced the fold change in the expression of adhesin genes fnbA and cnbA in MRSA in a dose-dependent manner. C2 enabled a 4-fold reduction in the MIC of ciprofloxacin (CPX) and in presence of 10 μM C2 and 8.0 μM CPX, growth of MRSA was arrested. Furthermore, a combination of 10 μM C2 and 12 μM CPX could strongly inhibit MRSA biofilm formation and reduce biofilm metabolic activity. The minimum biofilm inhibitory concentration (MBIC) of CPX against S. aureus 4 s biofilm was reduced and a synergy resulted between C2 and CPX. In a combinatorial treatment regimen, C2 could prevent emergence of CPX resistance and arrest growth of MRSA till 360 generations. C2 could also be leveraged in combination treatment (12 μM CPX and 10 μM C2) to target MRSA in an in vitro bone cell infection model, wherein MRSA cell adhesion and invasion onto cultured MG-63 cells was only ~17 % and ~ 0.37 %, respectively. The combinatorial treatment regimen was also biocompatible as the viability of MG-63 cells was high (~ 91 %). Thus, C2 is a promising adjuvant material to counter antibiotic-refractory therapy and mitigate MRSA-mediated bone cell infection.

Unraveling the probiotic efficiency of bacterium Pediococcus pentosaceus OBK05 isolated from buttermilk: An in vitro study for cholesterol assimilation potential and antibiotic resistance status

The present study describes the probiotic potential and functional properties of the lactic acid bacterium Pediococcus pentosaceus OBK05 isolated from buttermilk. The isolate OBK05 was assessed for its probiotic properties. The isolate showed notable tolerance to pH 2.0 and 3.0 (8.44, 8.35 log CFU/mL), oxbile of 0.5% at 2 and 4 h of incubation (6.97, 6.35 log CFU/mL) and higher aggregation (auto-aggregation, adhesion to hydrocarbons) than the referral strain, Lactobacillus acidophilus MTCC 10307. The adhesion efficiency to HT-29 cells was found to be maximum, corresponding to 93.5% and 97% at 1 and 2 h incubation, respectively. In addition, the isolate OBK05 showed antagonistic solid activity against bacterial pathogens like Pseudomonas aeruginosa MTCC 424 and Bacillus subtilis MTCC 1133. The phenotypic antibiotic resistance of the isolate was examined before and after curing plasmids. Among the known five structural genes responsible for different antibiotic resistance, four genes indicating antibiotic resistance to kanamycin-Aph (3´´)-III, streptomycin-strA, vancomycin-vanA and ciprofloxacin-gyrA were detected by PCR amplification of genomic DNA. Further, the horizontal gene transfer from OBK05 isolate to pathogens was not found for these antibiotic resistance markers when filter and food mating were carried out as no transconjugants developed on media plates containing respective antibiotics. This indicates that the intrinsic resistance is harbored on chromosomal genes, and hence it is nontransferable to other microbes. In addition, strain OBK05 exhibited good DPPH scavenging activity of 56 to 77% and liberated free amino acid from conjugated bile acid. The strain OBK05 demonstrated a strong ability to reduce cholesterol at 12 h (17%), 24 h (27%) and 48 h (67%) of incubation.

Biocompatible Nanocomposite Tailored to Endure the Gastric Niche Renders Effective in Vitro Elimination of Intestinal Pathogenic Bacteria and Supports Adhesion by Beneficial Bacteria

Bacteriocins produced by lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are potent therapeutic arsenals for targeting gastrointestinal pathogens and a promising alternative to antibiotics, because of their selective activity and reduced propensity to trigger collateral damage to the beneficial gut microbes. However, proteolytic inactivation in the gastric niche renders bacteriocins ineffective. The present study addresses this challenge and demonstrates that a biocompatible milk protein fraction can be leveraged to generate a robust nanocargo, which renders protection from proteolysis in the gastric milieu and facilitates delivery of the encapsulated bacteriocin pediocin. In a simulated gastric transit experiment, pediocin-loaded milk protein nanocomposite (Ped-MNC) could render a 3.0 log reduction in the viability of model gastrointestinal pathogens. Ped-MNC is nontoxic to cultured human intestinal cells (HT-29 cells) and effectively abrogates pathogenic bacteria adhering onto intestinal cells. In a combinatorial regimen, Ped-MNC and the beneficial LAB Lactobacillus plantarum DF9 could substantially reduce the levels of the pathogen Enterococcus faecalis MTCC 439 adhering onto HT-29 cells and interestingly the nanocomposite does not hinder adhesion of intestinal cells by the beneficial LAB. The developed nanocomposite holds promise as a niche specific therapeutic for selective mitigation of intestinal pathogens.