Silver_nanoparticles_action_S.aureus
Antimicrobial mechanism of silver nanoparticles on S.aurues bacteria

Mechanism of action:

Gram-positive bacteria have a thicker cell wall(~30-~100 nm thick) than gram-negative bacteria (a few nanometers).

  1. The silver nanoparticles, stick to the surface of the gram-positive bacteria
  2. Silver ions (Ag+) are released by silver nanoparticles
  3. Silver ions denature ribosomes and inhibit protein synthesis
  4. The generation of reactive oxidation species (ROS) leads to lipid peroxidation, which disrupts the membranes of cell organelles.
  5. Nanoparticles enter the cell and cause adverse effects like inhibition of DNA replication, disruption of signal transduction, etc.
  6. Cell death

Reference:

Mikhailova EO. Silver Nanoparticles: Mechanism of Action and Probable Bio-Application. J Funct Biomater. 2020 Nov 26;11(4):84. doi: 10.3390/jfb11040084. PMID: 33255874; PMCID: PMC7711612.

Anjum, S., Jacob, G. & Gupta, B. Investigation of the herbal synthesis of silver nanoparticles using Cinnamon zeylanicum extract. emergent mater. 2, 113–122 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42247-019-00023-x