Wang Wenjia, Huang Huimin, Gu Yuetong, Li Jiahang, Tao Yian, Ma Gengshao, Shi Zhihai
College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan University of Animal Husbandry and Economy, Zhengzhou, China.
Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou, China.
PLoS One. 2025 Jun 27;20(6):e0326574. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0326574. eCollection 2025.
Bovine mastitis poses significant challenges to the global dairy industry, leading to substantial economic losses and public health concerns. Staphylococcus aureus, a prevalent causative agent of bovine mastitis, depends on effective adhesion and biofilm formation to establish infections. Berberine (BER), a naturally occurring phytochemical, demonstrates broad-spectrum antibacterial activity but suffers from poor bioavailability. This study developed a composite berberine-carboxymethyl chitosan/sodium alginate hydrogel to address these limitations. The hydrogel was characterized using scanning electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. In vitro assessments revealed that the BER hydrogel eradicated S. aureus biofilms (42% eradication at 156.26 μg/mL), inhibited bacterial adhesion, and reduced inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and TNF-α) in S. aureus-infected MAC-T cells, with compliant biosafety biocompatibility (hemolysis rate <5%) and sustained drug release (100% over 6 h), though pH-dependent release kinetics necessitate microenvironment-specific formulation refinement. In conclusion, the BER hydrogel represents a potential therapeutic candidate for S. aureus-induced bovine mastitis.
牛乳腺炎给全球乳制品行业带来了重大挑战，导致巨大的经济损失和公共卫生问题。金黄色葡萄球菌是牛乳腺炎的一种常见病原体，它依靠有效的黏附及生物膜形成来引发感染。小檗碱（BER）是一种天然存在的植物化学物质，具有广谱抗菌活性，但生物利用度较差。本研究开发了一种复合小檗碱-羧甲基壳聚糖/海藻酸钠水凝胶来解决这些局限性。使用扫描电子显微镜、傅里叶变换红外光谱和X射线衍射对该水凝胶进行了表征。体外评估表明，BER水凝胶可根除金黄色葡萄球菌生物膜（在156.26μg/mL时根除率为42%），抑制细菌黏附，并降低金黄色葡萄球菌感染的MAC-T细胞中的炎性细胞因子（IL-6和TNF-α），具有良好的生物安全性和生物相容性（溶血率<5%）以及持续的药物释放（6小时内释放100%），不过pH依赖性释放动力学需要针对微环境进行特定的制剂优化。总之，BER水凝胶是金黄色葡萄球菌引起的牛乳腺炎的一种潜在治疗候选物。
