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Review
. 2021 Jul 4;22(13):7202.
doi: 10.3390/ijms22137202.

Silver Nanoparticles and Their Antibacterial Applications

Tamara Bruna  1 , Francisca Maldonado-Bravo  1   2 , Paul Jara  2 , Nelson Caro  1
Affiliations
Review

Silver Nanoparticles and Their Antibacterial Applications

Tamara Bruna et al. Int J Mol Sci. .

Abstract

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have been imposed as an excellent antimicrobial agent being able to combat bacteria in vitro and in vivo causing infections. The antibacterial capacity of AgNPs covers Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, including multidrug resistant strains. AgNPs exhibit multiple and simultaneous mechanisms of action and in combination with antibacterial agents as organic compounds or antibiotics it has shown synergistic effect against pathogens bacteria such as Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The characteristics of silver nanoparticles make them suitable for their application in medical and healthcare products where they may treat infections or prevent them efficiently. With the urgent need for new efficient antibacterial agents, this review aims to establish factors affecting antibacterial and cytotoxic effects of silver nanoparticles, as well as to expose the advantages of using AgNPs as new antibacterial agents in combination with antibiotic, which will reduce the dosage needed and prevent secondary effects associated to both.

Keywords: antibacterial activity; antibiotic alternative; cytotoxicity; medical applications; silver nanoparticles.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Synthesis methods for AgNPs preparation and its characteristics.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Comparative scheme between resistance mechanisms in bacteria vs antibacterial mechanisms of AgNPs. Antibiotic resistance mechanisms include: (1) permeation barriers, (2) efflux pumps, (3) inactivation of antibiotic, and (4) structural changes in antibiotic targets (represented as “?”) avoiding its recognition. On the other side AgNPs antibacterial mechanisms includes (A) alteration of efflux pumps, (B) disruption of membrane proteins and electron transport chains (C) accumulation in membrane affecting permeation, (D) disruption of membrane and leakage of intracellular content, (E) interaction and damage in DNA. A similar figure was published in [18].
Figure 3
Figure 3
Advantages of using AgNPs in combination or as an alternative to antibiotics.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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