Determination of the efficacy of anti-infective compounds
Smaltis supports the assessment of antimicrobial properties of compounds in development, whose mechanism of action and structure have been established. Standard or custom-developed tests are offered to determine the spectrum of action of antibiotic candidates, antimicrobial peptides, phages, and any antibacterial compound.
In addition, Smaltis supports the determination of the sensitivity of bacterial strains (such as probiotics) to antibiotics.
Our offer
Antimicrobial efficacy and susceptibility to antimicrobials
Smaltis delivers characterization services according to the recommendations of CLSI (Clinical & Laboratory Standards Institute), CA-SFM/EUCAST (European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing), or EFSA (European Food Safety Authority).
These tests can be performed in aerobic or anaerobic conditions.
- Antibiograms
- Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC, MIC50, MIC90) in liquid or solid medium. Depending on the mode of action of the compound, the determination of the MIC at different pH can be interesting, because it allows to analyze the efficiency of the molecule in intracellular pH conditions.
- Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC)
- Fractionated Inhibitory Concentration (FIC) – to identify synergies or antagonisms of efficacy between several anti-infective molecules
(dilution in liquid Broth or agar media) - Antimicrobial effect in cellular infection models
T84 line (intestinal cells), A549 & NCI-H820 (lung cells), J774A.1 (macrophages) - Bactericidal curves
- Co-cultures to determine the impact of a strain on the inhibition of the growth of a pathogenic bacterium
- Probiograms
Supporting the development of bacteriophages
Bacteriophages, or phages, are viruses that infect only bacteria. Since lytic phages destroy bacteria, they can be used to fight bacterial infections: this is the principle of phage therapy or phagotherapy. The advantage of phages is that they are specific to a bacterium, with each virus infecting only a given subgroup within a bacterial species.
Phage therapy is still practiced in some countries of the former Soviet bloc and is regaining the attention of researchers worldwide following the problem of antibiotic resistance. The use and return to phage therapy seems to be one of the most proven, promising and sustainable ways to fight against this resistance phenomenon. Today, discussions are underway in Europe to define a specific regulatory framework for phage therapy and to conduct clinical studies and fundamental research projects on the biology of phages and their effects on the organism and the ecosystem.
Smaltis accompanies the actors of the development of bacteriophages, by proposing services allowing to characterize them and to evaluate their effects:
- Screening by Spot Phage Assay
- Titration of suspensions by Phage Plaque Assay
- Search for lytic and lysogenic phages
- Identification of phages by sequencing
- Phages induction through a specific protocol
- Partnership for the visualization and quantification of phage particles by electronic microscopy
Visualization of phage particles by eletronic microscopy.
Example of achievement
EVALUATION OF THE ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF PRODUCTS CONTAINING LIPACIDS
The objective of this study was to compare the in vitro bactericidal activity of lipacid-containing ear hygiene products with a reference product, on 9 pathogenic strains isolated from dog ear infections: Malassezia pachydermatis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus pseudintermedius.
Bactericidal and fungicidal curves were performed for 32 minutes with 6 measuring points, on 3 strains of each pathogenic species, exposed to pure and diluted products. For each strain, a viability test was performed in parallel.
The results of the enumerations made it possible to conclude on the antiseptic activity of the products compared to the reference product, both in terms of their bactericidal kinetics and their spectrum of activity, and then to classify them according to their efficacy and speed of action.
Evolution of Log10 CFU/mL of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain N° XX over time, in diluted products.
