Synergistic Anti-Staphylococcal Activity Of Niosomal Recombinant Lysostaphin-LL-37.
Sadeghi. Somayeh S; Bakhshandeh. Haleh H; Ahangari Cohan. Reza R; Peirovi. Afshin A; Ehsani. Parastoo P; Norouzian. Dariush D
Key Findings
- Lysostaphin and LL-37 work better together than alone, showing synergistic antibacterial activity against S. aureus.
- Encapsulating both agents in niosomes (using a specific surfactant/cholesterol mix) creates particles of 325‑565 nm that release the drugs slowly over time.
- The niosomal combo remains effective for up to 72 hours in vitro and does not harm normal fibroblast cells at antimicrobial concentrations.
Practical Outcomes
- For DIY biohackers, the study suggests that pairing LL-37 with lysostaphin and delivering them via niosomes could provide longer‑lasting protection against staph infections, but the work is still at the petri‑dish stage. No dosage or human‑use protocol is provided, so applying this at home would require substantial formulation expertise and safety testing.
Summary
Researchers combined two antimicrobial agents—lysostaphin (an enzyme) and the peptide LL-37—inside tiny lipid‑like carriers called niosomes. In lab tests against Staphylococcus aureus, the combined niosomal formulation kept the bacteria from growing for up to three days, while the same amounts of the free agents lost effectiveness after a short time. The niosomes were safe for normal skin cells at the effective doses.
Abstract
<i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> is the most common persistent pathogen in humans, so development of new formulations to combat pathogen invasion is quite necessary. In the current study, for the first time, the synergistic activity of recombinant lysostaphin and LL-37 peptide was studied against <i>S. aureus</i>. Moreover, different niosomal formulations of the peptide and protein were prepared and analyzed in terms of size, shape, zeta potential, and entrapment efficiency. Also, a long-term antibacterial activity of the best niosomal formulation and free forms was measured against <i>S. aureus</i> in vitro. The optimal niosomal formulation was obtained by mixing the surfactants (span60 and tween60; 2:1 w/w), cholesterol, and dicetylphosphate at a ratio of 47:47:6, respectively. They showed uniform spherical shapes with the size of 565 and 325 nm for lysostaphin and LL-37, respectively. This formulation showed high entrapment efficiency for the peptide, protein, and a slow-release profile over time. Release kinetic was best fitted by Higuchi model indicating a diffusion-based release of the drugs. The lysostaphin/LL-37 niosomal formulation synergistically inhibited growth of <i>S. aureus</i> for up to 72 hours. However, the same amounts of free forms of both anti-microbial agents could not hold the anti-microbial effect and growth was seen in the following 72 hours. Cytotoxicity assay specified that lysostaphin/LL-37 niosomal combination had no deleterious effect on normal fibroblast cells at effective antimicrobial concentrations. This study indicated that the use of lysostaphin in combination with LL-37, either in niosomal or free forms, synergistically inhibited growth of <i>S. aureus</i> in vitro. In addition, niosomal preparation of antimicrobial agents could provide a long-term protection against bacterial infections.
Study Information
pubmed
2019
2019-12-10T00:00:00.000Z
10.2147/ijn.s230269