Synergic Antibiofilm Effect of Thymol and Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Conjugated with Thiosemicarbazone on Pathogenic Pseudomonas aeruginosa Strains

• Published in: Arabian journal for science and engineering (2011) Vol. 49; no. 7; pp. 9089 - 9097
• Main Authors: Mokhtari, Hadiseh, Abdulrazaq Alkinani, Tabarek, Ataei-e jaliseh, Somayeh, Shafighi, Tooba, Salehzadeh, Ali
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.07.2024
• Subjects: Engineering; Humanities and Social Sciences; multidisciplinary; Research Article-Biological; Science; Biofilm; Antibacterial; Thiosemicarbazone; Thymol; Glutamate; Zinc oxide nanoparticles
• ISSN: 2193-567X; 2191-4281
• DOI: 10.1007/s13369-023-08701-z

Due to the emergence of drug resistance, treating Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections is a major health challenge. In a biofilm, bacteria are usually more resistant to antimicrobials than planktonic growth. Thus, antibiofilm compounds can be employed against bacterial infections. In this study, Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared and functionalized by glutamic acid (ZnO@Glu). Next, the nanoparticles were conjugated with Thiosemicarbazone (ZnO@Glu- TSC), and their antibiofilm activity in combination with Thymol on P. aeruginosa strains was investigated. Physicochemical characterization by FT-IR and XRD analyses showed that the nanoparticles were synthesized properly and their purity was displayed by EDS mapping. The zeta potential of the NPs was − 7.7 mV which indicates the stability of the NPs. Also, the synthesized particles were in the nano-scale size range. Biofilm formation in P. aeruginosa strains was evaluated using Congo-Red agar assay and the antibacterial effect of Thymol and ZnO@Glu-TSC was also studied. Finally, the antibiofilm potential of Thymol, ZnO@Glu-TSC, and Thymol+ZnO@Glu-TSC NPs was studied by crystal violet staining assay. Thymol and ZnO@Glu-TSC NPs had stronger antibacterial potential in combination, and the minimum inhibitory concentration was 3.12–25.5 µg/mL. Also, the combination of the NPs with Thymol led to biofilm inhibition up to 95%, which was significantly higher than either agent alone. This work revealed that Thymol could enhance the antibacterial and antibiofilm potentials of ZnO@Glu-TSC NPs that provides a new option to combat P. aeruginosa infections after further research.