Work

Evaluation of the antimicrobial and cytotoxic activity of nerolidol encapsulated in a nanoliposome system

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Plant-derived compounds have emerged as potential alternatives to traditional antimicrobials in livestock; however, their application may be limited by degradation in the gastrointestinal tract. Nanoliposome encapsulation offers a strategy to overcome these limitations. In this study, we investigated the effects of nerolidol encapsulation, by evaluating the antimicrobial activity of free-nerolidol (NER), nerolidol-loaded nanoliposomes (LN), and unloaded nanoliposomes (UN) (Lipobox™) using a Time-Kill assay. The cytotoxicity of these formulations was assessed through MTT assay on swine and bovine cell lines. NER was effective against MRSA, Enterococcus faecium , and Lactobacillus acidophilus at all time points, at concentrations ≥62.5, ≥15.63 and ≥1,000 μg/ml, respectively, but was ineffective against Gram-negative bacteria Conversely, LN and UN were effective against all bacteria, showing the best activity at 2,500 μg/ml. LN showed the greatest activity against MRSA up to 6 h while UN on E. faecium up to 4 h ( P < 0.05). No difference between LN and UN on Salmonella Typhimurium up to 24 h and on E. coli up to 6 h at this concentration ( P > 0.05) was observed. For L. acidophilus , both LN and UN were effective up to 6 h even at the lowest concentration (9.77 μg/ml). NER showed high cytotoxicity on MDBK and IPEC-J2 cells at all doses; while LN and UN were low-toxic at concentrations ≤ 1,250 μg/ml or ≤ 625 μg/ml, respectively. These results suggest that nanoliposomes themselves exhibit dose-dependent antimicrobial and cytotoxicity activity; however, when NER is encapsulated its spectrum of activity its enhanced.

Source: Frontiers in Veterinary Science

DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2025.1641746