Antibacterial and antibiofilm activities of ZIF-67

Currently, antibiotic-resistant bacteria represent a serious threat to public health worldwide. Biofilm formation potentiates both virulence and antibiotic resistance of bacteria. Therefore, the discovery of new antibacterial and antibiofilm compounds is an issue of paramount importance to combat and prevent hard-to-treat bacterial infections. Zeolitic-imidazolate-frameworks (ZIFs) are metallo-organic compounds known to have various interesting chemical and biological applications, including antibacterial properties. In this study, we synthesized ZIF-67 nanoparticles, formed by imidazolate anions and cobalt cations, and found that they inhibit the growth of Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus. Sub-inhibitory concentrations of ZIF-67 were also able to significantly reduce the biomass of pre-established biofilms of these pathogenic bacteria. On the other hand, the ZIF-67 nanoparticles had null or low cytotoxicity in mammalian cells at those concentrations showing antibacterial or antibiofilm activities. Thus, our results reveal the potential of ZIF-67 nanoparticles to be used against pathogenic bacteria.