Repurposing the anti-breast cancer drug Tamoxifen: antibacterial and antibiofilm efficacy of novel Tamoxifen-AgNP conjugate against multidrug-resistant healthcare-associated pathogens
Abstract
Aim: Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), especially when multidrug-resistant bacteria cause them, pose serious challenges resulting in higher healthcare expenses, increased morbidity, and higher mortality, and thus, there is a need for new antimicrobial agents. Repurposing an old drug for new applications is an important trend, and in the present study, an anti-breast cancer drug, Tamoxifen, has been screened alone and in combination with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) synthesized using Abutilon indicum Linn. against Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus, which are involved in HAIs. Methods: The drug and the combination were subjected to antimicrobial potential analysis and the determination of minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) by agar diffusion and microdilution methods. Biofilm formation assays were performed using the crystal violet method to understand biofilm prevention and eradication efficiencies. The synergism in the activities of the drug and the combination with selected antibiotics was studied using checkerboard assay, and the cytotoxic effects of the drug and the combination on L929 cells were analyzed using MTT assay. Results: Tamoxifen and the AgNPs showed promising antibacterial activities, and the MICs of the drug were found to be 62.5 µg/mL (E. coli), 31 µg/mL (S. aureus), and 125 µg/mL (E. faecalis). When combined with AgNPs, Tamoxifen showed a 4-fold reduction in the MIC. The drug also displayed promising antibiofilm…
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