Abstract
Background: Treatment of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial infection is a great challenge in public health. Herein, we provide a solution to this problem with the use of graphene oxide-silver (GO-Ag) nanocomposites as anti-bacterial agent. Methods: Following established protocols, silver nanoparticles were grown on graphene oxide sheets. Then, a series of in-vitro studies were conducted to validate the antibacterial efficiency of the GO-Ag nanocomposites against clinical MDR Escherichia coli (E. coli) strains. Firstly, minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of different antimicrobials were tested against MDR E. Coli strains. Then, bacteria viability assessments were conducted with different nanomaterials in Luria-Bertani (LB) broth. Afterwards, photothermal irradiation was conducted on MDR E. coli with lower GO-Ag concentration. At last, fluorescent imaging and morphology characterization using scanning electron microscope (SEM) were done to find the possible cause of antibacterial effect. Results: GO-Ag nanocomposites showed the highest antibacterial efficiency among tested antimicrobials. Synergetic antibacterial effect was observed in GO-Ag nanocomposites treated group. The remained bacteria viabilities were 4.4% and 4.1% respectively for different bacteria strains with GO-Ag concentration at 14.0 µg mL-1. In addition, GO-Ag nanocomposites have strong absorption in the near-infrared field and can convert the electromagnetic energy to heat. With the use of this photothermal effect, effective sterilization could be achieved using GO-Ag nanocomposites concentration as low as 7.0 µg mL-1. Fluorescent imaging and morphology characterization were used to analyze bacteria living status, which uncovered that bacteria integrity was disrupted after GO-Ag nanocomposites treatment. Conclusions: GO-Ag nanocomposites are proved to be efficient antibacterial agent against multi-drug resistant E. coli. Their strong antibacterial effect arises from inherent antibacterial property and photothermal effect that provides aid for bacteria killing.
Photothermal-assisted antibacterial application of GO-Ag against clinical isolated MDR E. coli