Essential Oil-Antibiotics Synergistic Delivery Strategy via Phenylboronic-Acid-Functionalized Liposomes for Targeted...

Area of Science:

• Pharmacology
• Nanotechnology
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) pneumonia presents a significant global health threat due to high mortality and antimicrobial resistance.
• Essential oils show potential against resistant bacteria due to their multitarget properties and low cytotoxicity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a phenylboronic acid (PBA)-functionalized liposomal codelivery system (P-Lip@CE) for synergistic delivery of cefazolin sodium (Cefas) and Alpinia zerumbet essential oil (EOFAZ).
• To investigate the potential of P-Lip@CE to reverse MRSA resistance and treat MRSA-induced pneumonia.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a PBA-functionalized liposomal system for codelivery of Cefas and EOFAZ.
• Evaluation of the system's stability, biocompatibility, and antibacterial efficacy in vitro.
• Assessment of P-Lip@CE in an MRSA-infected pneumonia mouse model using intranasal and oral administration.

Main Results:

• The P-Lip@CE system demonstrated good storage stability, biocompatibility, and tolerance.
• EOFAZ enhanced Cefas efficacy, reducing its minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) by 8-fold.
• P-Lip@CE exhibited significantly lower in vitro MICs (8-fold for Cefas, 33-fold for EOFAZ) and promoted tissue repair in vivo.

Conclusions:

• The synergistic codelivery system P-Lip@CE effectively combats MRSA resistance and pneumonia.
• This strategy reduces antibiotic dosage and allows for flexible administration routes, offering a promising approach for drug-resistant infections.