Evaluation of anti-quorum sensing activity of silver nanowires

Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 2013 Apr;97(8):3593-601. doi: 10.1007/s00253-012-4603-1. Epub 2012 Dec 8.

Abstract

A menace of antimicrobial resistance with growing difficulties in eradicating clinical pathogens owing to the biofilm has prompted us to take up a facile aqueous-phase approach for the synthesis of silver nanowires (SNWs) by using ethylene glycol as a reducing agent and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as a capping agent. This synthesis is a reflux reaction seedless process. The obtained SNWs were about 200-250 nm in diameter and up to 3-4 μm in length. The SNWs were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, UV-Vis spectroscopy, and X-Ray powder diffraction, and the chemical composition of the sample was examined by energy dispersive X-ray spectrum. The SNWs did not show an antibacterial activity against test organisms, Bacillus subtilis NCIM 2063 and Escherichia coli NCIM 2931; however, it showed a promising property of a quorum sensing-mediated inhibition of biofilm in Pseudomonas aeruginosa NCIM 2948 and violacein synthesis in Chromobacterium violaceum ATCC 12472, which is hitherto unattempted, by polyol approach.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Bacillus subtilis / drug effects
  • Chromobacterium / drug effects
  • Escherichia coli / drug effects
  • Microscopy, Electron, Scanning
  • Nanowires / chemistry
  • Nanowires / toxicity*
  • Nanowires / ultrastructure
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa / drug effects
  • Quorum Sensing / drug effects*
  • Silver / toxicity*
  • Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission
  • Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet
  • X-Ray Diffraction

Substances

  • Silver