Abstract
To tackle growing antibiotic resistance (AR) and hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), novel antimicrobials are warranted that are effective against HAIs and safer for human use. We hypothesize that near-atomic size positively charged silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) could specifically target bacterial cell wall and adherent fimbriae expression, serving as the next generation antimicrobial agent. Herein we show positively charged, 5 nm NH2–AgNPs were bactericidal; negatively charged, 45 nm Citrate–AgNPs were nontoxic; and Ag+ ions were bacteriostatic forming honeycomb-like potentially resistant phenotype, at 10µg Ag/mL in E. coli dh5a. Further, adherent fimbriae were expressed with Citrate–AgNPs, whereas NH2–AgNPs (0.5–10µg/mL) or Ag+ ions (10µg/mL) inhibited fimbriae expression. Potent bactericidal effects demonstrated by biocompatible NH2–AgNPs and the lack of toxicity of Citrate–AgNPs lend credence to the hypothesis that near-atomic size, positively charged AgNPs may serve as a next-generation antibacterial agent, potentially addressing the rising HAIs and patient health and safety.
Eco synthesized silver nanoparticles as a next generation of nanoproduct in multidisciplinary applications
