Silver nanoparticles modified by gelatin with extraordinary pH stability and long-term antibacterial activity

PLoS One. 2014 Aug 6;9(8):e103675. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0103675. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

The potential for application of any nanoparticles, including silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), is strongly dependent on their stability against aggregation. Therefore, improvement of this parameter is a key task, especially in the case of AgNPs, because a correlation between size and biological activity has been demonstrated. In the present work, a natural stabilizer, gelatin, was investigated for the stabilization of AgNPs in an aqueous dispersion. The particles were prepared via a modified Tollens process, and the gelatin modifier was added prior to the reducing agent. The stability against aggregation of the AgNPs prepared by this method was more than one order of magnitude higher (on the basis of the critical coagulation concentration (CCC)) than that of AgNPs prepared via a similar method but without the assistance of gelatin. Their high stability against aggregation was confirmed over wide pH range (from 2 to 13) in which the particles did not exhibit rapid aggregation; such stability has not been previously reported for AgNPs. Additionally, gelatin not only fulfills the role of a unique stabilizer but also positively influences the modified Tollens process used to prepare the AgNPs. The diameter of the gelatin-modified AgNPs was substantially smaller in comparison to those prepared without gelatin. The polydispersity of the dispersion significantly narrowed. Moreover, the gelatin-stabilized AgNPs exhibited long-term stability against aggregation and maintained high antibacterial activity when stored for several months under ambient conditions.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents* / chemistry
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents* / pharmacology
  • Bacteria / growth & development*
  • Drug Stability
  • Gelatin* / chemistry
  • Gelatin* / pharmacology
  • Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
  • Metal Nanoparticles / chemistry*
  • Silver* / chemistry
  • Silver* / pharmacology
  • Time Factors

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Silver
  • Gelatin

Grants and funding

Operational Program Research and Development for Innovations - European Regional Development Fund, project CZ.1.05/2.1.00/03.0058 of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic; http://www.opvavpi.cz/ (LK AP RP RV RZ). Operational Program Education for Competitiveness - European Social Fund, project CZ.1.07/2.3.00/20.0056 of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic; http://www.op-vk.cz/ (LK JS AP RP). Technology Agency of the Czech Republic, project TA03010799; http://www.tacr.cz/ (MS LK RP RZ). Internal Grant of Palacky University in Olomouc, project PrF_2014_032; http://www.upol.cz/ (MS LK JS AP RP). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.