The resistance in microorganisms against many conventional antibiotics has become a serious global health problem. However, antibacterial drug delivery materials are still limited in toxicity, short efficacy and reducing inflammation. The novel and natural Pickering emulsions stabilized by antimicrobial peptide nanoparticles were tested as promising platforms to control bacterial resistance development. The parasin I interacted or conjugated with lecithin or chitosan and formed nanoparticles encapsulated by Pickering emulsion. The protonation and deprotonation of amino groups in chitosan and parasin I resulted in nanoparticles in different aggregate states and changed emulsion stability. Moreover, the Pickering emulsion could induce severe bacterial agglomeration on both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria than parasin I through the membrane disintegration mechanism. Furthermore, the Pickering emulsion could alleviate the cytotoxicity of human liver cells and hemolytic activity in rat blood cells. In combination with the lack of acute cytotoxicity in Kunming mice and milder, more effective anti-inflammatory effect in peritonitis demonstrated for these Pickering emulsions, especially chitosan peptide-embedded nanoparticles Pickering emulsion, a potential role in combating multidrug resistant bacteria in biomedical applications.
Keywords: Pickering emulsion; antimicrobial peptide; nanoparticles; parasin I; peritonitis.