Safety and Therapeutic Efficacy of Thymoquinone-Loaded Liposomes against Drug-Sensitive and Drug-Resistant <i>Acinetobacter baumannii</i>

In the present study, we investigated the activity of free thymoquinone (TQ) or liposomal thymoquinone (Lip-TQ) in comparison to standard antibiotic amoxicillin (AMX) against the drug-sensitive and drug-resistant <i>Acinetobacter baumannii</i>. A liposomal formulation of TQ was prepared...

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Main Authors: Khaled S. Allemailem (Author), Abdullah M. Alnuqaydan (Author), Ahmad Almatroudi (Author), Faris Alrumaihi (Author), Aseel Aljaghwani (Author), Habibullah Khalilullah (Author), Hina Younus (Author), Arif Khan (Author), Masood A. Khan (Author)
Format: Book
Published: MDPI AG, 2021-05-01T00:00:00Z.
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Summary:In the present study, we investigated the activity of free thymoquinone (TQ) or liposomal thymoquinone (Lip-TQ) in comparison to standard antibiotic amoxicillin (AMX) against the drug-sensitive and drug-resistant <i>Acinetobacter baumannii</i>. A liposomal formulation of TQ was prepared and characterized and its toxicity was evaluated by analyzing the hematological, liver and kidney function parameters. TQ was effective against both drug-sensitive and drug-resistant <i>A. baumannii</i> as shown by the findings of drug susceptibility testing and time kill kinetics. Moreover, the therapeutic efficacy of TQ or Lip-TQ against <i>A. baumannii</i> was assessed by the survival rate and the bacterial load in the lung tissues of treated mice. The mice infected with drug-sensitive <i>A. baumannii</i> exhibited a 90% survival rate on day 30 post treatment with Lip-TQ at a dose of 10 mg/kg, whereas the mice treated with AMX (10 mg/kg) had a 100% survival rate. On the other hand, the mice infected with drug-resistant <i>A. baumannii</i> had a 70% survival rate in the group treated with Lip-TQ, whereas AMX was ineffective against drug-resistant <i>A. baumannii</i> and all the mice died within day 30 after the treatment. Moreover, Lip-TQ treatment effectively reduced the bacterial load in the lung tissues of the mice infected with the drug-sensitive and drug-resistant <i>A. baumannii</i>. Moreover, the blood of the mice treated with Lip-TQ had reduced levels of inflammation markers, leukocytes and neutrophils. The results of the present study suggest that Lip-TQ may prove to be an effective therapeutic formulation in the treatment of the drug-sensitive or drug-resistant <i>A. baumannii</i> infection as well.
Item Description:10.3390/pharmaceutics13050677
1999-4923