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Abstract
Over the last two decades, nanoparticles have been actively studied as an alternative to antibiotics due to the rise of antibiotic resistance. However, while nanoparticles have demonstrated proven antimicrobial effectiveness, their antibiofilm activity still requires further investigation. In particular, this is especially relevant for ESKAPE pathogens (E. faecium, S. aureus, K. pneumoniae, A. baumannii, P. aeruginosa, and Enterobacter spp.), which are the major causes of healthcare-associated infections and are capable of "escaping" the biocidal action of antimicrobial agents. The aim of this study was to investigate the antibiofilm activity of the silver nanoparticles against biofilms formed by ESKAPE bacteria.
Silver nanoparticles (NPs) provided by Nano Pure Co. (Warsaw, Poland) were used to treat biofilms formed by ESKAPE pathogens after 1, 2, and 5 days of incubation. Biofilm mass and viability were assessed using the resazurin assay and gentian violet staining.
The results indicate that silver NPs exhibited antibiofilm activity at low concentrations (ranging from 10 to 40 μg/mL). There was a varying degree of reduction in biofilm mass and the number of viable cells forming mature biofilms. The effectiveness of the silver antibiofilm activity varied depending on the species and the age of the biofilms. Biofilms formed by S. aureus and P. aeruginosa were the most sensitive to the action of silver nanoparticles, while five-day-old biofilms were the most resistant.
These findings highlight the potential of AgNPs as a promising alternative to conventional antibiotics in the treatment of biofilm-associated infections caused by ESKAPE pathogens.
Acknowledgment: This research was funded by the Horizon Europe MSCA-2021-SE-01 project (ARGO #101086441) and Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine project “Development of osteoconductive materials with improved osteoregenerative and antimicrobial potential for the restoration of bone tissue” (0124U000540).
Keywords: bacteria, biofilms, silver nanoparticles, antimicrobials
