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Novello E, Scalzo G, D’Agata G, Raucci MG, Ambrosio L, Soriente A, Tomasello B, Restuccia C, Parafati L, Consoli GML, Ferreri L, Rescifina A, Zagni C, Zampino DC. Synthesis, Characterisation, and In Vitro Evaluation of Biocompatibility, Antibacterial and Antitumor Activity of Imidazolium Ionic Liquids. Pharmaceutics 2024; 16:642. [PMID: 38794304 PMCID: PMC11125126 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics16050642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2024] [Revised: 04/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
In recent decades, ionic liquids (ILs) have garnered research interest for their noteworthy properties, such as thermal stability, low or no flammability, and negligible vapour pressure. Moreover, their tunability offers limitless opportunities to design ILs with properties suitable for applications in many industrial fields. This study aims to synthetise two series of methylimidazolium ILs bearing long alkyl chain in their cations (C9, C10, C12, C14, C16, C18, C20) and with tetrafluoroborate (BF4) and the 1,3-dimethyl-5-sulfoisophthalate (DMSIP) as counter ions. The ILs were characterised using 1H-NMR and MALDI-TOF, and their thermal behaviour was investigated through DSC and TGA. Additionally, the antimicrobial, anticancer, and cytotoxic activities of the ILs were analysed. Moreover, the most promising ILs were incorporated at different concentrations (0.5, 1, 5 wt%) into polyvinyl chloride (PVC) by solvent casting to obtain antimicrobial blend films. The thermal properties and stability of the resulting PVC/IL films, along with their hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity, IL surface distribution, and release, were studied using DSC and TGA, contact angle (CA), SEM, and UV-vis spectrometry, respectively. Furthermore, the antimicrobial and cytotoxic properties of blends were analysed. The in vitro results demonstrated that the antimicrobial and antitumor activities of pure ILs against t Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas fluorescens strains, and the breast cancer cell line (MCF7), respectively, were mainly dependent on their structure. These activities were higher in the series containing the BF4 anion and increased with the increase in the methylimidazolium cation alkyl chain length. However, the elongation of the alkyl chain beyond C16 induced a decrease in antimicrobial activity, indicating a cut-off effect. A similar trend was also observed in terms of in vitro biocompatibility. The loading of both the series of ILs into the PVC matrix did not affect the thermal stability of PVC blend films. However, their Tonset decreased with increased IL concentration and alkyl chain length. Similarly, both the series of PVC/IL films became more hydrophilic with increasing IL concentration and alkyl chain. The loading of ILs at 5% concentration led to considerable IL accumulation on the blend film surfaces (as observed in SEM images) and, subsequently, their higher release. The biocompatibility assessment with healthy human dermal fibroblast (HDF) cells and the investigation of antitumoral properties unveiled promising pharmacological characteristics. These findings provide strong support for the potential utilisation of ILs in biomedical applications, especially in the context of cancer therapy and as antibacterial agents to address the challenge of antibiotic resistance. Furthermore, the unique properties of the PVC/IL films make them versatile materials for advancing healthcare technologies, from drug delivery to tissue engineering and antimicrobial coatings to diagnostic devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabetta Novello
- Institute of Polymers, Composites and Biomaterials (IPCB)—CNR, Section of Catania, Via Paolo Gaifami, 18, 95126 Catania, Italy; (E.N.); (G.S.); (G.D.); (D.C.Z.)
| | - Giuseppina Scalzo
- Institute of Polymers, Composites and Biomaterials (IPCB)—CNR, Section of Catania, Via Paolo Gaifami, 18, 95126 Catania, Italy; (E.N.); (G.S.); (G.D.); (D.C.Z.)
| | - Giovanni D’Agata
- Institute of Polymers, Composites and Biomaterials (IPCB)—CNR, Section of Catania, Via Paolo Gaifami, 18, 95126 Catania, Italy; (E.N.); (G.S.); (G.D.); (D.C.Z.)
| | - Maria G. Raucci
- Institute of Polymers, Composites and Biomaterials (IPCB)—CNR, Section of Napoli, Viale J.F. Kennedy n.54, Pad.20, 80125 Napoli, Italy; (L.A.); (A.S.)
| | - Luigi Ambrosio
- Institute of Polymers, Composites and Biomaterials (IPCB)—CNR, Section of Napoli, Viale J.F. Kennedy n.54, Pad.20, 80125 Napoli, Italy; (L.A.); (A.S.)
| | - Alessandra Soriente
- Institute of Polymers, Composites and Biomaterials (IPCB)—CNR, Section of Napoli, Viale J.F. Kennedy n.54, Pad.20, 80125 Napoli, Italy; (L.A.); (A.S.)
| | - Barbara Tomasello
- Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125 Catania, Italy; (B.T.); (A.R.)
| | - Cristina Restuccia
- Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Catania, Via Santa Sofia 100, 95123 Catania, Italy; (C.R.); (L.P.)
| | - Lucia Parafati
- Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Catania, Via Santa Sofia 100, 95123 Catania, Italy; (C.R.); (L.P.)
| | - Grazia M. L. Consoli
- Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry (ICB)-CNR, via Paolo Gaifami 18, 95126 Catania, Italy; (G.M.L.C.); (L.F.)
| | - Loredana Ferreri
- Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry (ICB)-CNR, via Paolo Gaifami 18, 95126 Catania, Italy; (G.M.L.C.); (L.F.)
| | - Antonio Rescifina
- Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125 Catania, Italy; (B.T.); (A.R.)
| | - Chiara Zagni
- Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125 Catania, Italy; (B.T.); (A.R.)
| | - Daniela C. Zampino
- Institute of Polymers, Composites and Biomaterials (IPCB)—CNR, Section of Catania, Via Paolo Gaifami, 18, 95126 Catania, Italy; (E.N.); (G.S.); (G.D.); (D.C.Z.)
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Abstract
This Editorial for the IUPAB Biophysical Reviews journal (2023 volume 15 issue 6) first provides an overview of the contents of this "Regular Issue featuring an Issue Focus on the Computational Biophysics of Atomic Force Microscopy" before going on to highlight some of the notable work published in the journal throughout 2023. Highlights of the current Issue include the contributed review article by Antonio Benedetto, winner of the 2023 Michèle Auger Award for Young Scientists' Independent Research, the latest installment of the "Biophysical Reviews Top 5 Series" authored by Angela Dulhunty, and an Issue Focus on the topic of computational aspects of atomic force microscopy generated from an IUPAB-sponsored workshop held in 2022.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damien Hall
- WPI Nano Life Science Institute, Kanazawa University, Kakumamachi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-1164 Japan
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