Staphylococcus Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Staphylococcus, including details on mrsa, hospitals, infection, antibiotic resistance, superbugs.

Synthesis and effect of silver nanoparticles on the antibacterial activity of different antibiotics against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli.

Shahverdi AR, Fakhimi A, Shahverdi HR, Minaian S

Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology and Medical Nanotechnology Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical Sciences/University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran. shahverd@sina.tums.ac.ir <shahverd@sina.tums.ac.ir>

Silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) have been known to have inhibitory and bactericidal effects. Resistance to antimicrobial agents by pathogenic bacteria has emerged in recent years and is a major health problem. The combination effects of Ag-NPs with the antibacterial activity of antibiotics have not been studied. Here, we report on the synthesis of metallic nanoparticles of silver using a reduction of aqueous Ag(+) ion with the culture supernatants of Klebsiella pneumoniae. Also in this article these nanoparticles are evaluated for their part in increasing the antimicrobial activities of various antibiotics against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. The antibacterial activities of penicillin G, amoxicillin, erythromycin, clindamycin, and vancomycin were increased in the presence of Ag-NPs against both test strains. The highest enhancing effects were observed for vancomycin, amoxicillin, and penicillin G against S. aureus.

Published 18 June 2007 in Nanomedicine, 3(2): 168-71.
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