Functional Silver Nanocomposites as
Broad-Spectrum Antimicrobial and Biofilm-Disrupting Agents
Guo, QQ (Guo, Qanqian)[ 1 ] ; Zhao, Y (Zhao, Yu)[ 1 ] ; Dai, XM (Dai, Xiaomei)[ 1 ] ; Zhang, TQ (Zhang, Tianqi)[ 1 ] ; Yu, YJ (Yu, Yunjian)[ 1 ] ; Zhang, XG(Zhang, Xinge)[ 1 ] ; Li, CX (Li, Chaoxing)[ 1 ]
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES, 2017, 9(20): 16835-16848
DOI: 10.1021/acsami.7b02775
WOS:000402498600012
Abstract
Biofilms' tolerance has become a serious clinical concern
due to their formidable resistance to conventional antibiotics and prevalent
virulence. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop alternative
antimicrobial agents to eradicate biofilms but avoid using antibiotics. Herein,
we successfully developed polymer functional silver nanocomposites by reduction
of silver nitrate in the presence of a biocompatible carbohydrate polymer and a
membrane-disrupting cationic polymer. The nanocomposites presented effective
antimicrobial activity against Gram-negative bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa,
Escherichia coli) and Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus and
Bacillus amyloliquefaciens). Confocal laser scanning macroscopy imaging
demonstrated that the nanocomposites could efficiently disperse and eradicate
the mature biofilms formed by the above four bacterial strains. The introduction
of carbohydrate polymers onto nanocomposites effectively improved the
biocompatibility, and these nanocomposites induced no significant red blood
cell hemolysis and cytotoxicity toward mammalian cells. More importantly, the
nanocomposites were able to well eradicate the bacterial biofilms formed on the
silicone implants in vivo. In conclusion, the nanocomposites as the
broad-spectrum biofilm-disrupting agent are significant in the design of new
strategies to eradicate biofilms on indwelling medical devices.
