Biocompatible Nickel-Prussian Blue@Silver Nanocomposites Show Potent Antibacterial Activities

Abstract

Aim: Silver nanoparticles have long been used as potent antibacterial agents. However, toxicity concerns of silver nanoparticles have limited their successful clinical applications. Hence, development of silver-based novel biocompatible nanomaterials for antibacterial applications is a challenging task. Materials & methods: Accordingly, in this work, we synthesized a biocompatible silver-based nanocomposite for antibacterial applications. The nanocompostie was characterized by several analytical techniques. The nanocomposite was further tested for its cytotoxicity in cells, chicken embryo and bacteria. Results & Conclusion: Herein, we report a simple and cost-effective method for the synthesis of nickel-prussian blue@silver nanocomposites. The nanocomposite is highly stable and shows biocompatibility observed by in vitro assay and by ex vivo chicken embryonic angiogenesis assay. The nanocomposite exhibits profound antibacterial activity toward Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) and Gram-positive (Bacillus subtillus) bacteria. The results altogether suggest the future potential applications of nickel-prussian blue@silver nanocomposite as an antibacterial agent.

Graphical abstract

Lay abstract: Silver nanoparticles, being a potent antibacterial agent, hold enormous potential in the treatment of bacterial infections. However, serious toxicity concerns have limited their clinical use. Hence, design and development of biocompatible and alternative silver-based nanomedicine is urgently required. In this manuscript, we developed a biocompatible nickel-prussian blue@silver nanocomposite that demonstrates excellent antibacterial activity in both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and could be used as potent antibacterial agent in the near future.

Keywords::

• antibacterial activity
• biocompatible
• CEA assay
• nanocomposite
• nickel-prussian blue nanoparticles
• silver nanoparticles

Author contributions

S Mukherjee and CR Patra designed the overall work plan. S Mukherjee, S Das and S Nuthi conducted the studies and analyze the data. S Das arranged the references. S Mukherjee, S Das and CR Patra envisioned and wrote the manuscript.

Acknowledgements

The authors are thankful to Mass and Analytical Division, CSIR-IICT for performing ICP-OES analysis (AARF project, CSIR 12th FYP) in detection of metal content in biological samples. The authors are also thankful to Steve Oglesbee, TCF, UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, NC, USA and Suvro Chatterjee, AU-KBC, Chennai, India for giving permission to use of the EA.hy926 cells, respectively.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

Dr. CR Patra is grateful to CSIR, New Delhi for generous financial support from 12th Five-Year Plan project (Advanced Drug Delivery System: CSC0302) and to DST, Nanomission, New Delhi (SR/NM/NS-1252/2013; GAP 0570) for this research. Dr. S Mukherjee and S Das are thankful to CSIR and UGC, New Delhi, respectively, for their research fellowship. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Ethical disclosure

For studies involving data relating to human or animal experimental investigations, appropriate institutional review board approval has been obtained and is described within the article (for those investigators who do not have formal ethics review committees, the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki have been followed).