Cationic polymer contributes to broaden the spectrum of vancomycin activity achieving eradication of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

CAMPAGNO, LUCIANA PAULA

ARCHIVES OF MICROBIOLOGY

SPRINGER

Lugar: Berlin; Año: 2022 vol. 507

0302-8933

ancomycin (VAN) is unable to penetrate the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria and reach the target site. One approach to overcome this limitation is to associate it with compounds with permeabilizing or antimicrobial properties. Eudragit E100® (Eu) is a cationic polymer insufficiently characterized for its potential antimicrobial action. Eu-VAN combina- tions were characterized, the antimicrobial efficacy against Pseudomonas aeruginosa was evaluated and previous studies on the effects of Eu on bacterial envelopes were extended. Time-kill assays showed eradication of P. aeruginosa within 3?6 h exposure to Eu-VAN, whilst VAN was ineffective. Eu showed regrowth in 24 h and delayed colony pigmentation. Although permeabilization of bacterial envelopes or morphological alterations observed by TEM and flow cytometry after exposure to Eu were insufficient to cause bacterial death, they allowed access of VAN to the target site, since Eu-VAN/Van-FL-treated cultures showed fluorescent stai