In vivo and in vitro biocompatible alginate film crosslinked with Ca2+ and Co2+ manifests antiviral, antibacterial and anticancer activity

Alginate crosslinked with calcium cations is a promising hydrogel for biomedical applications as it is non-toxic, has suitable mechanical properties and is insoluble in water. Cobalt has been shown to possess antibacterial capacity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, and has an angiogenesis effect. In this study, alginate films were crosslinked with Ca2+ and Co2+ ions to explore their biological properties in terms of antiviral capacity, antibacterial properties, anticancer activity and their toxicity. The results show that the hydrogel with a very small amount of cobalt was biocompatible in vivo using the Caenorhabditis elegans model and in vitro on human keratinocyte cells and it also exhibited antibacterial activity against the life-threatening methicillinresistant Staphylococcus aureus. Furthermore, this hydrogel showed antiviral activity against a surrogate of SARSCoV-2 and anticancer properties against melanoma and colon cancer cells, which render it a promising material for biomedical applications such as wound healing and tissue engineering. Water sorption experiments, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, electron microscopy with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectrometry and degradation analysis in acid aqueous medium were performed to complete the characterization of these new materials.The authors would like to express their gratitude to the Fundacion ´ Universidad Catolica ´ de Valencia San Vicente Martir ´ and to the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation for their financial support through Grant 2020-231-006UCV and PID2020-119333RB-I00 / AEI / 10.13039/501100011033, respectively.TheCIBER-BBNinitiativeis funded by the VI National R&D&I Plan 2008 − 2011, Iniciativa Ingenio 2010, Consolider Program.CIBER actions are financed by the Instituto de Salud CarlosIII with assistance from the European Regional Development.Funding support also from Researchers Supporting Project number (RSP-2023R782), King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaBiotecnologí

Desarrollo de nuevos elementos antimicrobianos de protección individual: mascarillas, pantallas faciales y crema labial antimicrobiana

El mundo se ha enfrentado de forma reciente a grandes desafíos como la pandemia de la enfermedad infecciosa del coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) causada por el patógeno Síndrome Respiratorio Severo Agudo Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Está ampliamente aceptado que las mascarillas y las pantallas faciales son herramientas de protección eficaces para evitar la transmisión bacteriana y viral entre personas. Sin embargo, estos utensilios de protección están fabricados de materiales que carecen de propiedades de inactivación frente a virus como el SARS-CoV-2 o bacterias resistentes a antibióticos. En este contexto, en este trabajo se han desarrollado novedosas tecnologías que dotan a los materiales de protección individual de propiedades antimicrobianas frente a virus con y sin envoltura o frente a bacterias resistentes a antibióticos. De este modo, en este estudio se ha desarrollado una tecnología basada en un amonio cuaternario como el cloruro de benzalconio aplicado a filtros de mascarilla y pantallas de protección facial. Este compuesto dota a los materiales de protección de capacidad antiviral frente a virus con envoltura como el bacteriófago Phi6 o el SARS-CoV-2. Además, protege también a los usuarios frente a bacterias resistentes a antibióticos como la Staphylococcus aureus o la Staphylococcus epidermidis resistentes a meticilina. También se ha desarrollado una tecnología de bajo coste basada en jabón solidificado que es eficaz contra virus con envoltura sin resultar tóxica para las células epiteliales humanas. Por otro lado, se ha desarrollado una nueva tecnología antimicrobiana basada en un compuesto natural y biodegradable como es el extracto de arándanos rojo. Este extracto contiene proantocianidinas, las cuales son unas moléculas que han demostrado ser efectivas en la inactivación de virus con envoltura y bacterias Grampositivas resistentes a meticilina. Además, la no toxicidad de este compuesto fue demostrada con el organismo modelo Caenorhabditis elegans. Por último, se ha llevado a cabo el desarrollo de una crema labial antimicrobiana basada en extractos naturales de arándanos rojos. Esta crema permite formar una barrera protectora en la vía de entrada de microorganismos que protege contra virus con y sin envoltura, contra bacterias Gram positivas y Gram negativas y también contra infecciones causadas por hongos. Los materiales desarrollados en este trabajo pueden ayudar en la lucha contra la actual pandemia del COVID-19 o en futuras pandemias ofreciendo una novedosa forma de protección contra una amplia variedad de microorganismos patógenos.The world has recently faced big challenges such as the Coronavirus disease (COVID- 19) pandemic caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARSCoV- 2) pathogen. It is widely accepted that face masks and face shields are effective protective tools to prevent bacterial and viral transmission between people. However, these protective utensils are made of materials than lack of inactivation properties against viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 or multidrug-resistant bacteria. In this context, in this work, novel technologies have been developed that provide personal protective equipment with antimicrobial properties against enveloped and non-enveloped viruses or against multidrug-resistant bacteria. Thus, in this study, a technology based on a quaternary ammonium such as benzalkonium chloride has been developed applied to mask filters and face shields. This compound provides protective materials with antiviral capacity against enveloped viruses such as bacteriophage Phi6 or SARS-CoV-2. In addition, it also protects users against multidrug-resistant bacteria such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis. A low-cost technology based on solidified hand soap has also been developed that is effective against enveloped viruses without being toxic to human epithelial cells. On the other hand, a new antimicrobial technology has been developed based on a natural and biodegradable compound such as cranberry extract. This extract contains proanthocyanidins, which are molecules that have been shown to be effective in the inactivation of enveloped viruses and methicillin-resistant Gram-positive bacteria. Furthermore, the non-toxicity of this compound was demonstrated with the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans. Finally, the development of an antimicrobial lipstick based on natural extracts of cranberries has been carried out. This cream allows to form a protective barrier in the entry route of microorganisms that protect against enveloped and non-enveloped viruses, against Grampositive and Gram-negative bacteria and against infections caused by fungi. The materials developed in this work can help in the fight against the current COVID-19 pandemic or in possible future pandemics by offering a novel form of protection against a wide variety of pathogenic microorganisms.BiotecnologíaCiencias de la Vida y del Medio Natura

Antimicrobial Lipstick: Bio-Based Composition against Viruses, Bacteria, and Fungi

The COVID-19 pandemic has speeded up the race to find materials that could help limit or avoid the spread of SARS-CoV-2, while infections by multidrug-resistant bacteria and fungi are now becoming a serious threat. In this study, we developed a novel bio-based lipstick containing cranberry extract, a substance able to inactivate a broad range of microorganisms: enveloped viruses such as bacteriophage Φ6, a surrogate of SARS-CoV-2; non-enveloped viruses including bacteriophage MS2; multidrug-resistant bacteria like methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus,Escherichia coli, and Mycobacterium smegmatis, a surrogate ofMycobacterium tuberculosis; and the Candida albicans fungus. The proposed antimicrobial lipstick offers a new form of protection against a broad range of microorganisms, including enveloped and non-enveloped viruses, bacteria, and fungi, in the current COVID-19 pandemic and microbial-resistant era.Biotecnologí