Enhancement of the Antibacterial Efficiency of Silver Nanoparticles against Gram-Positive and Gram-Negative Bacteria Using Blue Laser Light

• Main Authors: Kasing, Anak Apun, Micky, Anak Vincent, Lesley, Maurice Bilung, Al-Sharqi, Anes
• Format: E-Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hindawi Publishing 2019
• Subjects: Q Science (General); QD Chemistry; QR Microbiology
• Online Access: http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/25282/1/Enhancement%20of%20the%20Antibacterial%20Efficiency%20of%20Silver%20nanoparticles...%20-%20Copy.pdf; http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/25282/; https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijp/
• Institution: Universiti Malaysia Sarawak

Silvernanoparticles(Ag-NPs)possessexcellentantibacterialpropertiesandareconsideredtobeanalternativematerialfortreating antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The present study was aimed at enhancing the antibacterial efficiency of Ag-NPs using visible laser light against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus in vitro. Four concentrations of Ag-NPs (12.5, 25, 50, and 100μg/ml), synthesized by the chemical reduction method, were utilized to conduct the antibacterial activity of prepared Ag-NPs. The antibacterial efficiencies of photoactivated Ag-NPs against both bacteria were determined by survival assay after exposure to laser irradiation. The mechanism of interactions between Ag-NPs and the bacterial cell membranes was then evaluated via scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and reactive oxygen species analysis to study the cytotoxic action of photoactivated Ag-NPs against both bacterial species. Results showed that the laser-activated Ag-NP treatment reduced the surviving population to 14% of the control in the E. coli population, while the survival in the S. aureus population was reduced to 28% of the control upon 10min exposure time at the concentration of 50μg/ml. However, S. aureus showed lower sensitivity after photoactivation compared to E. coli. Moreover, the effects depended on the concentration of Ag-NPs and exposure time to laser light. SEM images of treated bacterial cells indicated that substantial morphological changes occurred in cell membranes after treatment. The results suggested that Ag-NPs in the presence of visible light exhibit strong antibacterial activity which could be used to inactivate harmful and pathogenic microorganisms.