Bactericidal Capacity of a Heterogeneous TiO2/ZnO Nanocomposite against Multidrug-Resistant and Non-Multidrug-Resistant Bacterial Strains Associated with Nosocomial Infections

Nor Hazliana Harun; Rabiatul Basria S M N Mydin; Srimala Sreekantan; Khairul Arifah Saharudin; Norfatehah Basiron; Farizan Aris; Wan Naabihah Wan Mohd Zain; Azman Seeni

doi:10.1021/acsomega.0c00213

Bactericidal Capacity of a Heterogeneous TiO₂/ZnO Nanocomposite against Multidrug-Resistant and Non-Multidrug-Resistant Bacterial Strains Associated with Nosocomial Infections

ACS Omega. 2020 May 20;5(21):12027-12034. doi: 10.1021/acsomega.0c00213. eCollection 2020 Jun 2.

Authors

Nor Hazliana Harun¹, Rabiatul Basria S M N Mydin^{1

2}, Srimala Sreekantan³, Khairul Arifah Saharudin^{3

4}, Norfatehah Basiron³, Farizan Aris⁵, Wan Naabihah Wan Mohd Zain⁶, Azman Seeni^{7

8}

Affiliations

¹ Oncological and Radiological Sciences Cluster, Advanced Medical and Dental Institute, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Bertam, Kepala Batas 13200, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia.
² Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, 117543, Singapore.
³ School of Materials and Mineral Resources Engineering, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Engineering Campus, Nibong Tebal 14300, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia.
⁴ Qdos Interconnect Sdn. Bhd., Persiaran Cassia Selatan 4, Taman Perindustrian Nibong Tebal Bandar Cassia, Kampung Batu Kawan, George Town 14110, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia.
⁵ Biomolecular Sciences, School of Biology, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Shah Alam 40450, Selangor, Malaysia.
⁶ Faculty of Applied Sciences, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Arau 02600, Perlis, Malaysia.
⁷ Integrative Medicine Cluster, Advanced Medical and Dental Institute, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Bertam, Kepala Batas 13200, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia.
⁸ Malaysian Institute of Pharmaceuticals and Nutraceuticals (IPHARM), National Institute of Biotechnology Malaysia, Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, Bukit Gambir, Gelugor 11700, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia.

Abstract

The surge of medical devices associated with nosocomial infection (NI) cases, especially by multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial strains, is one of the pressing issues of present health care systems. Metal oxide nanoparticles (MNPs) have become promising antibacterial agents against a wide range of bacterial strains. This work study is on the bactericidal capacity of heterogeneous TiO₂/ZnO nanocomposites with different weight percentages and concentrations against common MDR and non-MDR bacterial strains. The profiles on disk diffusion, minimum inhibitory concentration, minimum bactericidal concentration, tolerance determination, time-kill, and biofilm inhibition assay were determined after 24 h of direct contact with the nanocomposite samples. Findings from this work revealed that the heterogeneous TiO₂/ZnO nanocomposite with a 25T75Z weight ratio showed an optimal tolerance ratio against Gram-positive and -negative bacteria, indicating their bactericidal capacity. Further observation suggests that higher molar ratio of Zn²⁺ may possibly involve generation of active ion species that enhance bactericidal effect against Gram-positive bacterial strains, especially for the MDR strains. Nano-based technology using MNPs may provide a promising solution for the prevention and control of NIs. Further work on biocompatibility and cytotoxicity profiles of this nanocomposite are needed.