Search

Although some metallic nanoparticles (NPs) are commonly used in the food processing plants as nanomaterials for food packaging, or as coatings on the food handling equipment, little is known about antimicrobial properties of palladium (PdNPs) and platinum (PtNPs) nanoparticles and their potential use in the food industry. In this study, common food-borne pathogens Salmonella enterica Infantis, Escherichia coli , Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus were tested. Both NPs reduced viable cells with the log 10 CFU reduction of 0.3-2.4 (PdNPs) and 0.8-2.0 (PtNPs), average inhibitory rates of 55.2-99% for PdNPs and of 83.8-99% for PtNPs. However, both NPs seemed to be less effective for biofilm formation and its reduction. The most effective concentrations were evaluated to be 22.25-44.5 mg/L for PdNPs and 50.5-101 mg/L for PtNPs. Furthermore, the interactions of tested NPs with bacterial cell were visualized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). TEM visualization confirmed that NPs entered bacteria and caused direct damage of the cell walls, which resulted in bacterial disruption. The in vitro cytotoxicity of individual NPs was determined in primary human renal tubular epithelial cells (HRTECs), human keratinocytes (HaCat), human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs), human epithelial kidney cells (HEK 293), and primary human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAECs). Due to their antimicrobial properties on bacterial cells and no acute cytotoxicity, both types of NPs could potentially fight food-borne pathogens.

The antimicrobial activity of gold and silver nanoparticles (AuNPs, AgNPs), chitosan (CS) and their combinations was established by determining the minimum inhibitory concentration for planktonic (MICPC 80 ) and biofilm growth (MICBC 80 ), for biofilm formation (MICBF 80 ), metabolic activity (MICBM 80 ) and reduction (MICBR 80 ), and for the metabolic activity of preformed biofilm (MICMPB 80 ). Biofilms were quantified in microtitre plates by crystal violet staining and metabolic activity was evaluated by the MTT assay. Chitosan effectively suppressed biofilm formation (0.31-5 mg ml -1 ) in all the tested strains, except Salmonella enterica Infantis (0.16-2.5 mg ml -1 ) where CS and its combination with AgNPs induced biofilm formation. Nanoparticles inhibited biofilm growth only when the highest concentrations were used. Even though AuNPs, AgNPs and CS were not able to remove biofilm mass, they reduced its metabolic activity by at least 80%. The combinations of nanoparticles with CS did not show any significant positive synergistic effect on the tested target properties.

Droplet-based microfluidic devices are now more than ever used for the synthesis of nanoparticles with low polydispersity and well-defined properties suitable for various industrial applications. Very small reaction volumes (microlitre to femtolitre) and short diffusion lengths, provide superior mixing efficiency and heat transport. Both play the dominant role in case of ultra-fast chemical reactions triggered upon reactant mixing, e.g. preparation of colloidal silver by reduction of silver salt. The high sensitivity of these systems to process variables makes otherwise more straightforward batch-wise production prone to suffer from inconsistency and poor reproducibility, which has an adverse effect on the reliability of production and further particle utilisation. This work presents a rigorous description of microfluidic droplet formation, reactant mixing, and nanoparticle synthesis using CFD simulations and experimental methods. The reaction mixture inside of droplets was homogenized in less than 40 milliseconds, which has been confirmed by simulations. Silver nanoparticles produced by droplet-based microfluidic chip showed superior to batch-wise preparation in terms of both particle uniformity and polydispersity.

The preparation of light-activated hybrid antibacterial agent combining the porphyrin molecules, bound to the silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) surface is reported. AgNPs were synthesized by N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone-initiated reduction without additional reducing agents. The chemical structure of protoporphyrin IX was modified with the aim to introduce thiol groups. The size distribution and shape features of AgNPs were checked using TEM and HRTEM microscopies. The introduction of thiol groups into the porphyrin was proved by IR spectroscopy. The AgNPs-porphyrin binding was performed in solution and confirmed by fluorescence quenching, Raman spectroscopy and energy-filtered transmission electron microscopy (EFTEM). The antibacterial tests were performed against S. epidermidis and E. coli upon to LED illumination and in the dark. The synergetic effect of AgNPs and porphyrin as well as light activation of the created antibacterial conjugates were observed., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Spectroscopy of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is nowadays widely used in the field of bio-science and medicine. These applications require new enhancing substrates with special properties. They should be non-toxic, environmentally friendly and (bio-) compatible with examined samples. Flavonoids are natural antioxidants with many positive effects on human health. Simultaneously, they can be used as reducing agent in preparation procedure of plasmonic enhancing substrate for SERS spectroscopy. The best amplifiers of Raman vibrational spectroscopic signal are generally silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). In this study, several flavonoids (forming a logical set) were used as reducing agent in AgNPs preparation procedures. Reactivity of 10 structurally arranged flavonoids (namely flavone, chrysin, apigenin, luteolin, tricetin, 3-hydroxyflavone, galangin, kaempferol, quercetin and myricetin) was compared and SERS-activity of prepared AgNPs was tested using model analyte riboflavin. Riboflavin was detected down to concentration 10 -9 mol/l., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The creation of an antibacterial material with triggerable properties enables us to avoid the overuse or misuse of antibacterial substances and, thus, prevent the emergence of resistant bacterial strains. As a potential light-activated antibacterial material, polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) nanofibers doped with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and meso-tetraphenylporphyrin (TPP) were prepared by electrospinning. TPP was chosen as an effectively reactive oxygen species (ROS) producer. Antibacterial tests on Staphylococcus epidermidis (S. epidermidis) and Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis) showed the excellent light-triggerable antibacterial activity of the doped materials. Upon light irradiation at the wavelength corresponding to the TPP absorption peak (405nm), antibacterial activity dramatically increased, mostly due to the release of AgNPs from the polymer matrix. Furthermore, under prolonged light irradiation, the AgNPs/TPP/PMMA nanofibers, displayed enhanced longevity and photothermal stability. Thus, our results suggest that the proposed material is a promising option for the photodynamic inactivation of bacteria., (Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

In this work we present silver nanoparticles coated with chitosan films synthesized by a simple, environmentally friendly method. Silver nanoparticles were prepared and stabilized by reduction of silver nitrate with chitosan without addition of harmful reduction agents. The presence of silver nanoparticles in the solid films was studied by the X-ray diffraction spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Solid films were dissolved and the solution was observed by the ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The amount of silver in the solid samples was studied by atomic absorption spectroscopy. Antibacterial activity of solid films with silver nanoparticles was tested by disc test on two bacterial strains, Gram-positive Staphylococcus epidermidis and Gram-negative Escherichia coli. The presence of silver nanoparticles was confirmed both in solid film and in solution by the above mentioned methods. The films exhibited strong antibacterial activity against both bacterial strains. These films could be used as a wound dressing, antimicrobial packaging material or for long-term storage of silver nanoparticles for various applications.

In this study, a simple technique for preparation of colloid solution of metal nanoparticles in polyethylene glycol (PEG)/HO is described. By this technique, stable colloidal metal solutions can be prepared ready for use without application of chemical reactions, stabilizers, or reducing agents. The nanoparticles are created by direct sputtering of metal into PEG. The influence of sputter conditions and the concentration of PEG/HO on the properties of nanoparticles was studied. The nanoparticles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, atomic absorption spectrometry, dynamic light scattering, and UV-Vis spectroscopy. UV-Vis spectra of gold nanoparticle solution exhibit localized surface plasmon resonance characteristic peaks located in the region 513-560 nm (PEG/HO-1/1), 509-535 nm (PEG/HO-1/9), and for silver nanoparticles in the region from 401 to 421 nm. Silver nanoparticles have a broader size distribution compared with gold ones. An appropriate choice of concentration, mixing, and deposition conditions allows preparing the stable solution of gold or silver nanoparticles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]