Selective photoinduced antibacterial activity of amoxicillin-coated gold nanoparticles: From one-step synthesis to in vivo cytocompatibility

JAZMÍN SILVERO, M.C.; FOURNIER, KELSEY; ROCCA, DIAMELA M.; CECILIA BECERRA, M.; LANTERNA, ANABEL E.; SCAIANO, JUAN C.; ARTUR DE LA VILLARMOIS, EMILCE; PEREZ, MARIELA F.

ACS Omega

American Chemical Society

Año: 2018 vol. 3 p. 1220 - 1230

2470-1343

Photoinduced antibacterial gold nanoparticles were developed as an alternative for the treatment of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Thanks to the amoxicillin coating, they possess high in vivo stability, selectivity for the bacteria wall, a good renal clearance, and are completely nontoxic for eukaryotic cells at the bactericidal concentrations. A simple one-step synthesis of amoxi@AuNP is described at mild temperatures using the antibiotic as both reducing and stabilizing agent. Time-resolved fluorescence microscopy proved these novel nano-photosensitizers, with improved selectivity, are bactericidal but showing excellent biocompatibility toward eukaryotic cells at the same dose (1.5 μg/mL) when co-cultures are analyzed. Their stability in biological media, hemocompat-ibility and photo-antibacterial effect against sensitive and antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus aureus were evaluated in vitro, whereas toxicity, renal clearance, and biodistribution were studied in vivo in male Wistar rats. The use of these nanoparticles to treat antibiotic-resistant infections is promising given their high stability and cytocompatibility.