Zingiber officinale-derived exosome-like nanoparticles as antimicrobial agents via lipid-mediated inhibition

Abstract

Microbial diseases represent a significant challenge to global health, highlighting the importance of developing novel alternative antibacterial agents. The widely used spice and traditional medicinal plant Zingiber officinale and its derivatives have been demonstrated to possess promising antibacterial properties. The aim of the present study was to assess the antibacterial efficacy of Zingiber officinale-derived exosome-like nanoparticles (ZODENs) against a model bacterium, Escherichia coli (E. coli). The ZODENs were isolated from the rhizome of Zingiber officinale and subjected to morphological, size distribution, and zeta potential characterization. The bacterial growth curve assays and colony formation assays demonstrated that the E. coli bacterial growth was remarkably inhibited following incubation with ZODENs. The ZODENs were observed to be internalized by the E. coli bacteria following incubation, and subsequently demonstrated remarkable bacterial killing effects. Furthermore, the ZODEN-derived lipids, rather than the remaining fractions, demonstrated the capacity to inhibit bacterial cells, indicating that the antibacterial activity of ZODENs was at least partially attributable to its lipid content. These findings have paved the way for the development of ZODEN-based novel antibacterial agents and will facilitate the future clinical translation of plant-derived nanomedicines.