pH-responsive on-demand release of eugenol from metal-organic frameworks for synergistic bacterial killing

Dalton Trans. 2024 Feb 6;53(6):2826-2832. doi: 10.1039/d3dt04216b.

Abstract

Bacterial infections are a big challenge in clinical treatment, making it urgent to develop innovative antibacterial systems and therapies to combat bacterial infections. In this study, we developed a novel MOF-based synergistic antibacterial system (Eu@B-UiO-66/Zn) by loading a natural antibacterial substance (eugenol) with hierarchically porous MOF B-UiO-66 as a carrier and further complexing it with divalent zinc ions. Results indicate that the system achieved a controlled release of eugenol under pH responsive stimulation, with the complexation ability of eugenol and Zn2+ ions as a switch. Due to the destruction of a coordination bond between eugenol and Zn2+ ions by an acidic medium, the release of eugenol loaded in Eu@B-UiO-66/Zn reached 80% at pH 5.8, which was significantly higher than that under pH 8.0 (51%). Moreover, the inhibitory effect of Eu@B-UiO-66/Zn against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) after 24 h was 96.4% and 99.7%, respectively, owing to the synergistic antibacterial effect of eugenol and Zn2+ ions, which was significantly stronger than free eugenol and Eu@B-UiO-66. We hope that this strategy for constructing responsive MOF-based antibacterial carriers could have potential possibilities for the application of MOF materials in antibacterial fields.

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / chemistry
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology
  • Bacteria
  • Bacterial Infections* / drug therapy
  • Escherichia coli
  • Eugenol / chemistry
  • Eugenol / pharmacology
  • Eugenol / therapeutic use
  • Humans
  • Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
  • Ions / pharmacology
  • Metal-Organic Frameworks* / chemistry
  • Phthalic Acids*
  • Staphylococcus aureus

Substances

  • UiO-66
  • Metal-Organic Frameworks
  • Eugenol
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Ions
  • Phthalic Acids