Insights Regarding the Sonodynamic Antibacterial Activity of CCM@ZIF-8 Nanocomposite

Pathogenic microorganisms pose a growing threat to public health, particularly in light of the escalating challenge of antibiotic resistance. Consequently, there is a pressing demand for the development of innovative antimicrobial strategies. In recent years, sonodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy (SACT) has emerged as a promising approach. In this investigation, we engineered a nanoscale organic–inorganic hybrid sonosensitizer Curcumin@ZIF-8 (CCM@ZIF-8), which featured a large surface area, high porosity, and excellent sonodynamic activity. It was mainly reflected that, under ultrasonic irradiation, CCM@ZIF-8 not only reduced the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values of the three strains but also its bactericidal effect was significantly higher than that of the nonultrasound group. Furthermore, mechanistic studies revealed that its superior sonodynamic antibacterial performance was attributed to the comprehensive effect, such as boosting intracellular reactive oxygen species generation, enhancing bacterial uptake of CCM, consistently releasing CCM, disrupting bacterial biofilms, inducing protein leakage, and ultimately achieving bactericidal effects. These insights contribute to a deeper understanding of the potential mechanisms underlying SACT. In conclusion, this study presents a novel antimicrobial therapeutic strategy for combating infectious diseases.