Antibacterial Efficacy of Inhalable Antibiotic-Encapsulated Biodegradable Polymeric Nanoparticles Against E. coli Biofilm Cells

Biofilm is a sessile community of bacterial cells enclosed by a self-secreted extracellular polymeric matrix that exhibit a high recalcitrance towards antibiotics. Inhaled antibiotic nanoparticles with a sustained release capability have emerged as one of the most promising anti-biofilm formulations in the fight against respiratory biofilm infections attributed to their ability to penetrate the biofilm sputum. The present work examines the antibacterial efficacies and physical characteristics of different antibiotic-loaded polymeric nanoparticle formulations. PLGA and PCL nanoparticles prepared by an emulsification-solvent-evaporation method are used as the antibiotic carrier nanoparticles. Fluoroquinolone antibiotics (i.e., ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin) are selected as the antibiotic models due to their proven effectiveness against dormant bacterial cells and their ability to penetrate the biofilm matrix. The antibacterial efficacy against E. coli biofilm cells is examined in a time-kill study in which the effects of biofilm age, antibiotic exposure history, and drug removal are taken into account. Ciprofloxacin-loaded PLGA nanoparticles are identified as the most ideal formulation due to their high drug encapsulation efficiency, high antibacterial efficacy at a low dose against biofilm cells and biofilm-derived planktonic cells of E. coli. Moreover, the nanoparticulate suspension can be transformed into micro-scale dry-powder aerosols having aerodynamic characteristics ideal for inhaled delivery.