Journal of Bacteriology & Parasitology

Abstract

Iron Oxide Nanoparticle Improves the Antibacterial Activity of Erythromycin

Marlen Aparicio Caamaño, Mariana Carrillo-Morales and José de Jesús Olivares-Trejo

Antimicrobial resistance is considered a public health problem around the world. Every day new resistance mechanisms emerge and spread globally. Therefore, is imperative to improve the treatment schemes that have been developed to cure infections caused by human pathogens for instance, Streptococcus pneumoniae. Here, we are proposing a strategy that consists on combine the drug with iron oxide nanoparticles (FeNPs). We synthetized FeNPs by chemical technique and they were functionalized in order to make them soluble and biologically compatible. The antimicrobial agent (erythromycin) was coupled to FeNPs and their antibacterial properties were analysed in bacterial cultures of S. pneumoniae. The antibacterial effect was improved when the drug was coupled to FeNPs, also, the bacterial viability was diminished in presence of FeNPs. Additionally, the capsule of the bacterium has an important role in the antibacterial effect, because a mutant without capsule (R6) was more sensible to antibacterial agent than a strain with capsule (TIGR4 or ATCC strain). Maybe the FeNPs help to erythromycin to cross the capsule. In conclusion the presence of FeNPs improve the antibacterial activity of erythromycin.