Nisin antimicrobial activity and structural characteristics at hydrophobic surfaces coated with the PEO-PPO-PEO triblock surfactant Pluronic F108

J Colloid Interface Sci. 2008 Jun 1;322(1):104-11. doi: 10.1016/j.jcis.2008.02.062. Epub 2008 Mar 6.

Abstract

The antimicrobial peptide nisin has been observed to preferentially locate at surfaces coated with the poly[ethylene oxide]-poly[propylene oxide]-poly[ethylene oxide] (PEO-PPO-PEO) surfactant Pluronic F108, to an extent similar to its adsorption at uncoated, hydrophobic surfaces. In order to evaluate nisin function following its adsorption to surfaces presenting pendant PEO chains, the antimicrobial activity of nisin-loaded, F108-coated polystyrene microspheres and F108-coated polyurethane catheter segments was evaluated against the Gram-positive indicator strain, Pediococcus pentosaceus. The retained biological activity of these nisin-loaded layers was evaluated after incubation in the presence and absence of blood proteins, for contact periods up to one week. While an increase in serum protein concentration reduced the retained activity on both bare hydrophobic and F108-coated materials, F108-coated surfaces retained more antimicrobial activity than the uncoated surfaces. Circular dichroism spectroscopy experiments conducted with nisin in the presence of F108-coated and uncoated, silanized silica nanoparticles suggested that nisin experienced conformational rearrangement at a greater rate and to a greater extent on bare hydrophobic surfaces relative to F108-coated surfaces. These results support the notion that immobilized, pendant PEO chains confer some degree of conformational stability to nisin while also inhibiting its exchange by blood proteins.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Adsorption
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / chemistry*
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology
  • Blood Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Blood Proteins / metabolism
  • Circular Dichroism
  • Coated Materials, Biocompatible / chemistry*
  • Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions
  • Nisin / chemistry*
  • Nisin / pharmacology
  • Poloxamer / chemistry*
  • Polyethylene Glycols / chemistry*
  • Propylene Glycols / chemistry*
  • Surface Properties
  • Surface-Active Agents / chemistry*
  • Time Factors

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Blood Proteins
  • Coated Materials, Biocompatible
  • PEO-PPO-PEO
  • Propylene Glycols
  • Surface-Active Agents
  • Poloxamer
  • Nisin
  • Polyethylene Glycols