Abstract
In this study, different formulations of amoxicillin-loaded niosomes were fabricated using the thin-film hydration method and their physicochemical properties were determined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The optimum prepared niosomes had a spherical morphology with an average size of 170.6 ± 6.8 nm and encapsulation efficiency of 65.78 ± 1.45%. The drug release study showed that the release rate of amoxicillin from niosome containing amoxicillin was slow and 47 ± 1% of the drug was released within 8 h, while 97 ± 0.5% of the free drug was released. In addition, amoxicillin-loaded niosome increased the antimicrobial activity by 2–4 folds against multidrug-resistant (MDR) Staphylococcus aureus strains using broth microdilution assay. Moreover, at 1/2 minimum inhibitory concentrations, amoxicillin-loaded niosome significantly enhanced the anti-biofilm activity compared to free amoxicillin. Amoxicillin-loaded niosome had negligible cytotoxicity against HEK-293 normal cell line compared to free amoxicillin. The free niosomes exhibited no toxicity against HEK-293 cells and presented a biocompatible nanoscale delivery system. Based on the results, it can be concluded that amoxicillin-loaded niosome can be used as a promising candidate for enhancing antimicrobial and anti-biofilm effects against MDR strains of S. aureus.
Acknowledgements
The authors of this manuscript thank the laboratory of Islamic Azad University, Tehran Medical Sciences for making the equipment available.
Disclosure statement
The authors declare no competing interests.