Antibacterial activity and mechanism of Ag-ZnO nanocomposite on S. aureus and GFP-expressing antibiotic resistant E. coli.

Emergence of multi-resistant organisms (MROs) leads to ineffective treatment with the currently available medications which pose a great threat to public health and food technology sectors. In this regard, there is an urgent need to strengthen the present therapies or to look over for other potential alternatives like use of "metal nanocomposites". Thus, the present study focuses on synthesis of silver-zinc oxide (Ag-ZnO) nanocomposites which will have a broad-spectrum antibacterial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Ag-ZnO nanocomposites of varied molar ratios were synthesized by simple microwave assisted reactions in the absence of surfactants. The crystalline behavior, composition and morphological analysis of the prepared powders were evaluated by X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS). Particle size measurements were carried out by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Staphylococcus aureus and recombinant green fluorescent protein (GFP) expressing antibiotic resistant Escherichia coli were selected as Gram-positive and Gram-negative model systems respectively and the bactericidal activity of Ag-ZnO nanocomposite was studied. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum killing concentration (MKC) of the nanocomposite against the model systems were determined by visual turbidity analysis and optical density analysis. Qualitative and quantitative assessments of its antibacterial effects were performed by fluorescent microscopy, fluorescent spectroscopy and Gram staining measurements. Changes in cellular morphology were examined by atomic force microscopy (AFM), FE-SEM and TEM. Finally, on the basis of the present investigation and previously published reports, a plausible antibacterial mechanism of Ag-ZnO nanocomposites was proposed.

Matai I ，Sachdev A ，Dubey P ，Kumar SU ，Bhushan B ，Gopinath P ... -  《-》

A novel thermal decomposition approach to synthesize hydroxyapatite-silver nanocomposites and their antibacterial action against GFP-expressing antibiotic resistant E. coli.

Sahni G ，Gopinath P ，Jeevanandam P 《-》

Preparation, characterization, and antibacterial activity studies of silver-loaded poly(styrene-co-acrylic acid) nanocomposites.

A simple method for preparing a new type of stable antibacterial agent was presented. Monodisperse poly(styrene-co-acrylic acid) (PSA) nanospheres, serving as matrices, were synthesized via soap-free emulsion polymerization. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy micrographs indicated that PSA nanospheres have interesting surface microstructures and well-controlled particle size distributions. Silver-loaded poly(styrene-co-acrylic acid) (PSA/Ag-NPs) nanocomposites were prepared in situ through interfacial reduction of silver nitrate with sodium borohydride, and further characterized by transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. Their effects on antibacterial activity including inhibition zone, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), and bactericidal kinetics were evaluated. In the tests, PSA/Ag-NPs nanocomposites showed excellent antibacterial activity against both gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and gram-negative Escherichia coli. These nanocomposites are considered to have potential application in antibacterial coatings on biomedical devices to reduce nosocomial infection rates.

Song C ，Chang Y ，Cheng L ，Xu Y ，Chen X ，Zhang L ，Zhong L ，Dai L ... -  《-》

Preparation and characterization of uniform-sized chitosan/silver microspheres with antibacterial activities.

The chitosan/silver microspheres (CAgMs), which possess effective inhibitory on microorganisms, were prepared by an inverse-emulsification cross-linking method using CS/Ag sol as dispersed phase, whiteruss as continuous phase, and glutaraldehyde as crosslinking agent. The size and shape of CAgMs, greatly affecting their antibacterial activities, were controlled by varying the concentrations of cross-linking agent, emulsifier and CS/Ag colloid. The preparation conditions for obtaining uniform-sized microspheres were optimized. The morphology of CAgMs was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and laser particle size analysis. The spherical CAgMs with smooth surface in the mean size of ca. 5 μm exhibited a narrow particle size distribution. Energy Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) revealed the elemental composition of the microspheres. Transmission electron micrographs (TEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) of the microspheres confirmed the formation of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). The X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns and UV-Visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-vis DRS) of the sample showed that AgNPs with the diameter no more than 20 nm were face-centered cubic crystallites. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) proved that AgO bond existed in the microspheres. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) showed that the starting decomposition temperature of CAgMs (ca. 260°C) was much higher than that of CS (ca. 160°C), suggesting that the as-prepared CAgMs possessed better thermal stability than original CS did. Antimicrobial assays were performed using typical Gram bacteria and fungi. The inhibitory effect indicated that the as-prepared microspheres exerted a stronger antibacterial activity as the concentration of the AgNPs is increasing, and the microspheres in smaller size had much better antibacterial activity than those in the larger size. The antimicrobial mechanism of CAgMs was discussed.

An J ，Ji Z ，Wang D ，Luo Q ，Li X ... -  《-》

Antibacterial Property of Composites of Reduced Graphene Oxide with Nano-Silver and Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Synthesized Using a Microwave-Assisted Approach.

Hsueh YH ，Hsieh CT ，Chiu ST ，Tsai PH ，Liu CY ，Ke WJ ... -  《INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES》