Inhibition of Influenza A (H1N1) Virus Infection by Pt/TiO2-SiO2 Bionanocatalysts

Background: The rapid mutation of the H1N1 strain of the Influenza virus makes it quite difficult to treat once the infection has spread. The development of new treatments based on the destabilization of the genetic material, regardless of the sequence, is necessary. Objective: The study aims to evaluate the antiviral properties of Pt/TiO2-SiO2 bionanocatalysts against Influenza A (H1N1) virus in a post-infection model and to characterize the morphology of the nanoparticles. Methods: The bionanocatalysts were synthesized by the sol-gel method. Electron Microscopy studies were performed to evaluate the grain size and morphology of pure nanoparticles. Madin-Darby Canine Kidney (MDCK) epithelial cells were infected with Influenza A (H1N1) virus. They were treated with 500 μL of three viral suspensions (1:50, 1:100, and 1:1000) and 500 μL of a nanoparticle suspension (2 ng/mL). The presence of the virus was identified by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) endpoint and the antiviral properties of the nanoparticles were identified in terms of infection reduction calculated by real-time PCR using Influenza A and H1N1 subtype primers. The percentage of infection reduction was calculated by comparing control samples and samples treated with the bionanocatalysts. Results: The Pt/TiO2-SiO2 bionanocatalysts showed highly surface-dispersed platinum nanoparticles with an average particle size of 1.23 ± 0.36 nm in the amorphous oxide matrix. The nanoparticles showed antiviral properties with a maximum reduction in viral proliferation of 65.2 ± 3.3%. Conclusion: Pt/TiO2-SiO2 bionanocatalysts were able to reduce Influenza A (H1N1) viral infection 65.2 ± 3.3%; the results suggest the biocompatibility with healthy tissues and in vitro antiviral properties. Further studies should be conducted to identify the concentration required to achieve total virus clearance. However, the outcome of the present work suggests the possibility of implementing bionanocatalysts as treatments for Influenza A (H1N1) virus infection, especially at an advanced stage of infection.