Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa eradication by nano-penicillin G

The transformation of a known antibiotic (penicillin G) into nano-sized spheres for the creation of a novel antimicrobial agent with extended-spectrum activity is reported. Penicillin nanospheres (nanopenicillin) were able to better eradicate Gram-negative E. coli and P. aeruginosa in culture and in the form of biofilm while their molecular counterparts were insufficient to do so. The capability of the spheres to penetrate both bacterial membrane and biofilm structure was found to be the reason for such successful outcome. By penetrating in the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria, nanopenicillin is able to reach the periplasmic space where it inhibits the β-lactam targets: the transferases that build the bacteria cell wall.293