Molecular pharmaceutics
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Molecular pharmaceutics · Aug 2019
ZnO/Curcumin Nanocomposites for Enhanced Inhibition of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Virulence via LasR-RhlR Quorum Sensing Systems.
The indiscriminate and excessive use of antibiotics has ultimately led to the emergence of bacterial resistant mutants or superbugs. These superbugs are difficult to control with conventional antibiotics. Disabling quorum sensing (QS), a population-density-dependent cell-to-cell communication process used by bacteria to coordinate the expression of virulence genes and biofilm formation, with dietary phytochemicals is emerging as a non-antibiotic strategy to inhibit bacterial pathogenicity. ⋯ ZnC-NCs were also capable of protecting both mice as well as lung epithelial cells from killing by PAO1. The superoxide anions (O2·-) were also found as key players in suppressing PAO1 QS systems by ZnC-NCs. Overall, ZnC-NCs enhanced curcumin bioavailability for effective inhibition of QS signaling in P. aeruginosa via LasR-RhlR suppression and O2·- generation.