Title:Nanomaterials: Potential Broad Spectrum Antimicrobial Agents
Volume: 8
Issue: 4
Author(s): Prabhurajeshwar Chidre*, Ashajyothi Chavan, Navya Hulikunte Mallikarjunaiah and Kelmani Chandrakanth Revanasiddappa
Affiliation:
- Department of Studies in Biotechnology, Davangere University, Davangere-577007, Karnataka, India
Keywords:
Diseases, antibiotics, antimicrobial activity, multiple drug resistance, metals, metal oxides.
Abstract: Nanotechnology is a promising science with new aspects to fight and prevent various diseases
using nanomaterials. The capability to expose the structure and functions of biosystems at the
nanoscale level supports research leading to development in biology, biotechnology, medicine and
healthcare. This is predominantly advantageous in treating microbial infections as an alternative to antibiotics.
However, widespread production, and use and misuse of antibiotics have led to the emergence
of Multiple-Drug Resistant (MDR) pathogenic bacteria. Due to infectious diseases from these
drug-resistant pathogenic strains, human mortality rates have consistently increased and are becoming
an epidemic in our society. Consequently, there is a strong demand for developing novel strategies and
new materials that can cope with these problems. The emergence of nanotechnology has created many
new antimicrobial options. The small size of these nanomaterials is suitable for carrying out biological
operations. Several metals and metal oxides, such as silver, copper, gold, zinc oxide and iron oxide
nanoparticle types, have shown toxicity toward several pathogenic microbes. Metal-based nanoparticles
have been broadly examined for a set of biomedical applications. According to the World Health
Organization, the reduced size and selectivity of metal-based nanoparticles for bacteria have established
them to be effective against pathogens, causing concern. Metal-based nanoparticles are known
to have non-specific bacterial toxicity mechanisms, which not only make the development of resistance
by bacteria difficult, but also widen the spectrum of antibacterial activity. Metal-based nanoparticle
efficiency studies achieved so far have revealed promising results against both Gram-positive
and Gram-negative bacteria. Here we discuss the potential nanomaterials to either treat microbial resistance
or induce the development of resistance. However, fundamental research is required to focus
on the molecular mechanism causing the antimicrobial activity of nanomaterials.
