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Thin Films for Antimicrobial Applications
Published in Fredrick Madaraka Mwema, Tien-Chien Jen, Lin Zhu, Thin Film Coatings, 2022
Fredrick Madaraka Mwema, Tien-Chien Jen, Lin Zhu
As described above, disease-causing microbes pose a serious challenge to the society today, and in recent years, the medical field has faced a challenge in managing infectious diseases [4]. In particular, microbial infections are of great concern according to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centre for Disease Control (CDC). The microbial infections are quick to spread and difficult to control, and besides other effects, these pathogenic microbes will also affect the safety of medical equipment and devices, surgical equipment, implants, and grafts [5]. Mitigating the effect of these microbial infections and controlling them has become challenging due to increased resistance by the microbes towards the antimicrobial materials and also resistance to multiple drugs. The phenomenon whereby microorganisms possess or innately have resistance to antimicrobial materials and drugs is referred to as antimicrobial resistance. As such, the solution to microbial infections and pathogens requires a multifaceted approach involving the medical sector, biomedical engineers, and material scientists, among other experts. In particular, the development of materials that can resist the survival, mutual interaction, reproduction, and development of disease-causing microbes is of interest in the modern world.
Laccase-Mediated Synthesis of Novel Antibiotics and Amino Acid Derivatives
Published in Peter Grunwald, Pharmaceutical Biocatalysis, 2019
The increasing problems of antimicrobial drug resistance require the development of new antimicrobial agents. The laccase-mediated reaction of various compounds is a promising method to enlarge the range of currently available antibiotics, amino acid derivatives and biomaterials. This method permits the use of mild reaction conditions: room temperature, neutral-pH-values, normal pressure, and aqueous solvent systems. Reactions can be driven to the formation of homo- or heteromolecular products by the selection of suitable laccases, laccase substrates, reaction partners and conditions and variation of these parameters shifts the product pattern from no products to dimers, trimers, higher oligomers or to polymers. Additionally, hundreds of nonlaccase substrate reaction partners, all with very different structures can be used for coupling reactions, derivatizations or polymerizations in heteromolecular laccase-mediated syntheses forming various C–N, C–O, C–S or C–C bonds. For the future, we envisage that an impressive number of combinations of laccase substrates and reaction partners can be tested in combinatorial syntheses in the field of antibiotics and amino acid derivatives as well as in general for the synthesis of new chemicals.
The State of the Science: Environmental Risks
Published in Jo Anne Shatkin, Nanotechnology, 2017
Because they only target microbes, some nanoparticle antimicrobials may be less toxic than the current alternatives, such as the chemical triclosan, which is now in hundreds of products and may be hormonally active (Jacobs, Nolan, and Hood 2005; Veldhoen et al. 2006), disrupting the endocrine systems of larger animals, including people. Since not all microbes are pathogens, wide use of antimicrobial coatings on consumer products could have some unintended effects, for example the development of antimicrobial resistance to microbes, which has occurred as a result of the wide introduction of antimicrobials in soaps and cleaning products (Pruden et al. 2006). Some pathogens that cause common hospital infections are resistant to antibiotics as a result of overuse for medical purposes and in products, and these subsequently have a wide occurrence in the environment. Increasing the frequency with which antimicrobials are used will increase microbial resistance to antibiotics, decreasing our ability to treat infections and affect our immunity toward them. As a result, society is increasingly at risk of an outbreak of disease caused by antibiotic-resistant microbes. Generally, our immune systems can fight off these microbes, but there are sensitive subpopulations of immunodeficient people who cannot. These include people whose immune systems are weakened because of other illnesses and also those with immune system diseases including lupus, AIDS, and others. Increasingly, as antimicrobial resistance grows, so does the risk even to healthy people.
Microbial quality and emerging pollutants in freshwater systems of Mega Manila, Philippines: a scoping review
Published in Urban Water Journal, 2023
Arizaldo E. Castro, Marie Christine M. Obusan
Antimicrobial resistance is a global concern that is severely impacting economies and human health, e.g. increased duration of hospital stays, higher costs of disease management, increased mortality rates from infections, etc. Although an increasing number of countries are adopting priority action points against AMR, much remains to be done to understand and address the burden of infections caused by the emergence of drug-resistant microbes. Critical in combating AMR is the information on how genetic elements related to drug resistance are distributed in different environmental matrices- soil, water, and air (Larsson and Flach 2021). Aquatic systems such as natural resources, surface water reservoirs, and water supply distribution systems, are gradually recognized as ideal settings for the emergence and intensification of AMR in connection with human activities (Figure 3). These systems act as a sink to antimicrobials, biocides, and other emerging pollutants, promoting diversification and evolution of mechanisms that confer AMR to microbes (Taylor, Verner-Jeffreys, and Baker-Austin 2011).
Polymer-mediated electrospun nanofibrous mats on supramolecular assembly of nortriptyline in the β-cyclodextrin medium for antibacterial study
Published in Journal of Biomaterials Science, Polymer Edition, 2022
Rajaram Rajamohan, Angaiah Subramania, Yong Rok Lee
An antimicrobial is an agent that kills microorganisms or stops their growth. Here, two microorganisms have been chosen to test with both the samples whether they may work out or not on it. The antibacterial activity of NP/PAN and NP:β-CD-ICs/PAN NFMs against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and ED4 were investigated at 37 °C are shown in Figure 10. There was no significant difference in the number of viable Pseudomonas aeruginosa treated with NP/PAN (1) and NP:β-CD-ICs/PAN NFMs (2) compared to the positive control (Figure 10a). Therefore, the process does not kill Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains. Additionally, significant changes have been found in the NP/PAN and NP:β-CD-ICs/PAN NFM results on the ED4. In PAN NFMs, ICs (2) are more effectively treated against ED4 than free NP (1). As the biological activities of supramolecular assembly have to be improved, the solubility has much higher than the pure NP sample [30,31]. In this study, a remarkable effect has been achieved against the microorganism like ED4 for the NP and its supramolecular assembly through the polymer mediated electrospun NFMs and the result suggests that this system could be used as active food packaging material [32].
Antibiotic residues in the aquatic environment – current perspective and risk considerations
Published in Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part A, 2021
Ciaran Monahan, Rajat Nag, Dearbháile Morris, Enda Cummins
Antimicrobials are organic or inorganic compounds that kill or inhibit the growth of microorganisms. They are used extensively for the control of microbial populations, particularly in the health and agriculture sectors.[14] A reduction in human mortality from infectious diseases, increase in life expectancy and improved standard of living have all been attributed to the widespread manufacture and use of antimicrobials.[15] Antibiotics are a subcategory of antimicrobials which specifically act against bacteria. There are two classes of antibiotics: bacteriostatics and bacteriocidals. Bacteriostatic drugs restrict bacterial growth, while bacteriocidals kill the organism.[16] Antibiotics work via inhibition of one or more vital bacterial cell functions and are divided into classes based on chemical structure and mode of action.[17,18]Table 1 summarizes the major classes of antibiotics and their method of action against bacteria.