TY - JOUR
T1 - Nature-derived gelatin-based antifungal nanotherapeutics for combatting Candida albicans biofilms
AU - Nabawy, Ahmed
AU - Makabenta, Jessa Marie
AU - Park, Jungmi
AU - Huang, Rui
AU - Nayar, Varun
AU - Patel, Robin
AU - Rotello, Vincent M.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 The Royal Society of Chemistry.
PY - 2023/11/9
Y1 - 2023/11/9
N2 - Infections caused by fungi are emerging global health challenges that are exacerbated by the formation of fungal biofilms. Further challenges arise from environmental contamination with antifungal agents, which promotes environmental acquisition of antifungal resistance. We report the generation of an efficient, sustainable, all-natural antifungal nanotherapeutic based on the integration of an antimicrobial natural essential oil into a gelatin-based nanoemulsion platform. Carvacrol-loaded gelatin nanoemulsions penetrated Candida albicans biofilms, resulting in death of C. albicans cells in biofilms, and displayed selective biofilm elimination without harmful effects on fibroblast cells in a fungal biofilm-mammalian fibroblast co-culture model. Furthermore, the nanoemulsions degraded in the presence of physiologically relevant biomolecules, reducing the potential for environmental pollution and ecotoxicity. Overall, the sustainability, and efficacy of the described gelatin nanoemulsion formulation provides an environmentally friendly strategy for treating biofilmassociated fungal infections, including those caused by drug-resistant fungi.
AB - Infections caused by fungi are emerging global health challenges that are exacerbated by the formation of fungal biofilms. Further challenges arise from environmental contamination with antifungal agents, which promotes environmental acquisition of antifungal resistance. We report the generation of an efficient, sustainable, all-natural antifungal nanotherapeutic based on the integration of an antimicrobial natural essential oil into a gelatin-based nanoemulsion platform. Carvacrol-loaded gelatin nanoemulsions penetrated Candida albicans biofilms, resulting in death of C. albicans cells in biofilms, and displayed selective biofilm elimination without harmful effects on fibroblast cells in a fungal biofilm-mammalian fibroblast co-culture model. Furthermore, the nanoemulsions degraded in the presence of physiologically relevant biomolecules, reducing the potential for environmental pollution and ecotoxicity. Overall, the sustainability, and efficacy of the described gelatin nanoemulsion formulation provides an environmentally friendly strategy for treating biofilmassociated fungal infections, including those caused by drug-resistant fungi.
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U2 - 10.1039/d3en00372h
DO - 10.1039/d3en00372h
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85177833273
SN - 2051-8153
VL - 11
SP - 637
EP - 644
JO - Environmental Science: Nano
JF - Environmental Science: Nano
IS - 2
ER -