Mohsen Mahmoudi; Mohammad Shabani; Seyed Ahmad Dehdast; Sedigheh Saberi; Taher Elmi; Ghazaleh Chiari Fard; Fatemeh Tabatabaie; Sakineh Akbari
Abstract
Background: Leishmaniasis is a global disease that poses a threat to human life and is associated with complications. Current medications have limitations due to serious side effects, costs and drug resistance. Nanotechnology has received increased attention in recent years, owing to its extensive range ...
Read More
Background: Leishmaniasis is a global disease that poses a threat to human life and is associated with complications. Current medications have limitations due to serious side effects, costs and drug resistance. Nanotechnology has received increased attention in recent years, owing to its extensive range of applications in various fields including parasitology and its inherent therapeutic properties. Objective: This study was designed to assess the effects of chitosan and chitosan-ZnO nanocomposite interventions on Leishmania major. Methods: In this study, different concentrations of the nanocomposite were prepared (200, 100, 50 and 25 µg/mL), the parasite was cultured at 24, 48 and 72 h intervals and the viability of promastigotes and nanocomposite toxicity were evaluated by MTT assay. IC50 was determined by counting parasites. The inhibitory effect of the chitosan and nanocomposite were compared with standard drugs using different concentrations. Results: The IC50 for nanocomposite after 72 hours were 50 and 10 µg/mL for promastigotes and amastigotes, respectively. In addition, 15% toxicity of nanocomposite on macrophage cells was found. The MTT assay showed 18.54 % promastigote viability after 72 h exposure to 200 µg/mL concentration of nanocomposite. Results showed significant differences between treatment groups as compared to control groups. Conclusions: The above nanocomposites showed low toxicity and anti-leishmanial effects on both promastigote and amastigote forms. This study revealed anti-leishmanial activities of nanocomposites but further study is needed for in vivo evaluation of nanocomposites application for cutaneous leishmaniasis.
S. Ahmad Dehdast; Ghazaleh Chiari Fard; Laleh Maleknia; Masoud Giahi; Arash Almasian; Mohammad Shabani
Abstract
Nanomaterials are increasingly used to the targeting of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria as an alternative to antibiotics. Bacterial infections are a major cause of chronic infections and mortality. People requirement for new materials for pathogenic bacteria treatment. It seems that nanomaterial-based ...
Read More
Nanomaterials are increasingly used to the targeting of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria as an alternative to antibiotics. Bacterial infections are a major cause of chronic infections and mortality. People requirement for new materials for pathogenic bacteria treatment. It seems that nanomaterial-based strategies can be resolving this problem. In this research, improved antibacterial nanofibrous material using the synthesis of novel blend nanofibers by electrospinning method against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria.First, Honey as a natural, biocompatible and antimicrobial compound (with different percentages) was added to the PDDA solution and the influence of processing parameters on the morphology of the electrospun blend nanofibers were investigated. The results showed that a bead-free morphology of nanofibers with uniform diameter achieved at the concentration ratio of 40/60% (PDDA/honey), the flow rate of 0.8 mL/h and the high voltage of 17kV. The sample with optimum morphology was cross-linked by glutaraldehyde at different crosslinking times. Evaluation of the water absorption property of nanofibers showed the absorption capacity of 4.9 g/g. Then, the in-vitro antibacterial activity of nanofiber investigated against gram-positive and gram-negative strains, Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli). Afterward, novel nanofiber antibacterial activity studied against pathogenic Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa). The MIC values indicated that the ratio of 40/60% PDDA/honey nanofiber induced about 99.9% bacterial death for both strains. Moreover, the novel PDDA/honey nanofibers showed suitable antibacterial activity (98.89 %) against pathogenic Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Moreover, the results showed a large reduction of bacterial numbers and evidently presented novel nanofibers as new antimicrobial agents.
