Silver Nanoparticles: Antimicrobial Substance with the Possibility to Overcome Antibiotic Resistance of Escherichia coli Clinical Isolates

• Datum: 2025
• Hauptverfasser: Rieznichenko, L.S., Zhovnir, O.M., Gruzina, T.G., Tiutiun, S.M., Ulberg, Z.R., Dybkova, S.M., Рєзніченко, Л.С., Жовнір, О.М., Грузіна, Т.Г., Тютюн, С.М., Ульберг, З.Р., Дибкова, С.М.
• Format: Artikel
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlicht: PH "Akademperiodyka" of the NAS of Ukraine 2025
• Online Zugang: https://ojs.microbiolj.org.ua/index.php/mj/article/view/299
• Назва журналу: Microbiological Journal

The wide spread of multidrug-resistant bacteria species stimulates a search for alternative antimicrobial substances. Silver nanoparticles (AgNP) are among the leading substances possessing a great potential for such a purpose. At the same time, the current data about the possibility of some metal nanoparticles, including silver ones, to stimulate the horizontal transfer of antibiotic resistance genes stipulate the necessity to know the nanoparticles’ influence on the antibiotic resistance profile of microorganisms when studying the biological activity of synthesized nanomaterials. The aim of the study was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of synthesized AgNP against the test strains and Escherichia coli clinical isolates – causative agents of infectious diseases of farm animals – and to estimate the nanoparticles’ effectiveness in overcoming the antibiotic resistance and colicinogenic activity of E. coli isolates. Methods. AgNPs were synthesized by the chemical reduction method. Antimicrobial activity of the synthesized AgNP was tested via the method of serial dilutions in agar using E. coli ATCC 2592, Staphylococcus aureus MRSA ATCC 43300, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853, Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633 test strains, and 12 E. coli clinical isolates. The alkaline lysis by the method of Birnboim and Doly followed by agarose gel electrophoresis was used for plasmid DNA screening in E. coli clinical isolates. Disk diffusion assay was used for bacteria antibiotic susceptibility testing. The ability of E. coli clinical isolates to produce colicins was studied by the method of deferred antagonism by Fredericq. Results. AgNP with an average particle size of 30 nm and spherical shape were synthesized. AgNP were characterized as noncytotoxic and nongenotoxic for eukaryotic cells. Antimicrobial activity of AgNP was revealed on the test strains as well as E. coli strains isolated from the pathological material of farm animals (swine, cattle). The changes in the profile of antibiotic resistance and colicinogenic activity were revealed after the treatment of bacteria cells by AgNP at concentrations of 25 and 50 μg/mL. Conclusions. The revealed properties make synthesized AgNP a great alternative antimicrobial substance with the possibility to overcome antibiotic resistance and colicinogenic activity of E. coli clinical isolates.