The Antimicrobial Potency of Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles Loaded with <i>Melissa officinalis</i> Extract
Gabriela Petrișor,
Ludmila Motelica,
Roxana Doina Trușcǎ,
Andreea-Luiza Mȋrț,
Gabriel Vasilievici,
Justinian-Andrei Tomescu,
Cristina Manea,
Andreea Ștefania Dumbravǎ,
Viorica Maria Corbu,
Irina Gheorghe-Barbu,
Denisa Ficai,
Ovidiu-Cristian Oprea,
Bogdan-Ștefan Vasile,
Anton Ficai,
Anca Daniela Raiciu
Affiliations
Gabriela Petrișor
Science and Engineering of Oxide Materials and Nanomaterials, Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnologies, National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest, Gh. Polizu 1-7, 011061 Bucharest, Romania
Ludmila Motelica
Science and Engineering of Oxide Materials and Nanomaterials, Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnologies, National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest, Gh. Polizu 1-7, 011061 Bucharest, Romania
Roxana Doina Trușcǎ
Science and Engineering of Oxide Materials and Nanomaterials, Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnologies, National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest, Gh. Polizu 1-7, 011061 Bucharest, Romania
Andreea-Luiza Mȋrț
Science and Engineering of Oxide Materials and Nanomaterials, Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnologies, National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest, Gh. Polizu 1-7, 011061 Bucharest, Romania
Gabriel Vasilievici
National Institute for Research & Development in Chemistry and Petrochemistry–ICECHIM, Spl. Independentei 202, 060021 Bucharest, Romania
Justinian-Andrei Tomescu
S.C. Hofigal Export-Import S.A., Intrarea Serelor 2, 042124 Bucharest, Romania
Cristina Manea
S.C. Hofigal Export-Import S.A., Intrarea Serelor 2, 042124 Bucharest, Romania
Andreea Ștefania Dumbravǎ
Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, 1-3 Aleea Portocalelor, 060101 Bucharest, Romania
Viorica Maria Corbu
Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, 1-3 Aleea Portocalelor, 060101 Bucharest, Romania
Irina Gheorghe-Barbu
Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, 1-3 Aleea Portocalelor, 060101 Bucharest, Romania
Denisa Ficai
National Center for Scientific Research for Food Safety, National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest, Splaiul Independentei 313, 060042 Bucharest, Romania
Ovidiu-Cristian Oprea
National Center for Scientific Research for Food Safety, National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest, Splaiul Independentei 313, 060042 Bucharest, Romania
Bogdan-Ștefan Vasile
Science and Engineering of Oxide Materials and Nanomaterials, Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnologies, National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest, Gh. Polizu 1-7, 011061 Bucharest, Romania
Anton Ficai
Science and Engineering of Oxide Materials and Nanomaterials, Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnologies, National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest, Gh. Polizu 1-7, 011061 Bucharest, Romania
Anca Daniela Raiciu
S.C. Hofigal Export-Import S.A., Intrarea Serelor 2, 042124 Bucharest, Romania
Melissa officinalis is an important medicinal plant that is used and studied intensively due to its numerous pharmacological effects. This plant has numerous active compounds with biomedical potential; some are volatile, while others are sensitive to heat or oxygen. Therefore, to increase stability and prolong biological activities, the natural extract can be loaded into various nanostructured systems. In this study, different loading systems were obtained from mesoporous silica, like Mobile Composition of Matter family (MCM) with a hexagonal (MCM-41) or cubic (MCM-48) pore structure, simple or functionalized with amino groups (using 3-aminopropyl) such as triethoxysilane (APTES). Thus, the four materials were characterized from morphological and structural points of view by scanning electron microscopy, a BET analysis with adsorption–desorption isotherms, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and a thermogravimetric analysis coupled with differential scanning calorimetry. Natural extract from Melissa officinalis was concentrated and analyzed by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography to identify the polyphenolic compounds. The obtained materials were tested against Gram-negative bacteria and yeasts and against both reference strains and clinical strains belonging to Gram-positive bacteria that were previously isolated from intra-hospital infections. The highest antimicrobial efficiency was found against Gram-positive and fungal strains. Good activity was also recorded against methicillin-resistant S. aureus, the Melissa officinalis extract inhibiting the production of various virulence factors.
