The Antimicrobial Activity of Nanoparticles: Present Situation and Prospects for the Future

Overview

Journal Int J Nanomedicine

Publisher Dove Medical Press

Specialty Biotechnology

Date 2017 Mar 1

PMID 28243086

Citations 820

Authors

Linlin Wang

Chen Hu

Longquan Shao

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Nanoparticles (NPs) are increasingly used to target bacteria as an alternative to antibiotics. Nanotechnology may be particularly advantageous in treating bacterial infections. Examples include the utilization of NPs in antibacterial coatings for implantable devices and medicinal materials to prevent infection and promote wound healing, in antibiotic delivery systems to treat disease, in bacterial detection systems to generate microbial diagnostics, and in antibacterial vaccines to control bacterial infections. The antibacterial mechanisms of NPs are poorly understood, but the currently accepted mechanisms include oxidative stress induction, metal ion release, and non-oxidative mechanisms. The multiple simultaneous mechanisms of action against microbes would require multiple simultaneous gene mutations in the same bacterial cell for antibacterial resistance to develop; therefore, it is difficult for bacterial cells to become resistant to NPs. In this review, we discuss the antibacterial mechanisms of NPs against bacteria and the factors that are involved. The limitations of current research are also discussed.

Citing Articles

Metal Nanoparticles Obtained by Green Hydrothermal and Solvothermal Synthesis: Characterization, Biopolymer Incorporation, and Antifungal Evaluation Against .

Caguana T, Cruzat C, Herrera D, Pena D, Arevalo V, Vera M Nanomaterials (Basel). 2025; 15(5).

PMID: 40072182 PMC: 11901758. DOI: 10.3390/nano15050379.

Biosynthesized silver nanoparticles at subinhibitory concentrations as inhibitors of quorum sensing, pathogenicity, and biofilm formation in PAO1.

Aflakian F, Hashemitabar G Heliyon. 2025; 11(4):e42899.

PMID: 40070951 PMC: 11894301. DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2025.e42899.

The effect of the dual scale surface topography of a surface-modified titanium alloy on its bactericidal activity against .

Ishantha Senevirathne S, Yarlagadda P RSC Adv. 2025; 15(9):7209-7223.

PMID: 40052105 PMC: 11883467. DOI: 10.1039/d4ra07843h.

Nanomedicine and Its Role in Surgical Wound Infections: A Practical Approach.

Bentaleb M, Abdulrahman M, Ribeiro Jr M Bioengineering (Basel). 2025; 12(2).

PMID: 40001657 PMC: 11852320. DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering12020137.

Bio-fabricated silver nanoparticles: therapeutic evaluation as a potential nanodrug against cervical and liver cancer cells.

Ahamad I, Nadeem M, Rizvi M, Fatma T Discov Nano. 2025; 20(1):47.

PMID: 40000514 PMC: 11861485. DOI: 10.1186/s11671-025-04212-y.

References

Romero D, Aguilar C, Losick R, Kolter R . Amyloid fibers provide structural integrity to Bacillus subtilis biofilms. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2010; 107(5):2230-4. PMC: 2836674. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0910560107. View

Khan M, Ansari A, Hameedullah M, Ahmad E, Husain F, Zia Q . Sol-gel synthesis of thorn-like ZnO nanoparticles endorsing mechanical stirring effect and their antimicrobial activities: Potential role as nano-antibiotics. Sci Rep. 2016; 6:27689. PMC: 4923881. DOI: 10.1038/srep27689. View

Sangari M, Umadevi M, Mayandi J, Pinheiro J . Photocatalytic degradation and antimicrobial applications of F-doped MWCNTs/TiO₂ composites. Spectrochim Acta A Mol Biomol Spectrosc. 2015; 139:290-5. DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2014.12.061. View

Akhavan O, Ghaderi E . Toxicity of graphene and graphene oxide nanowalls against bacteria. ACS Nano. 2010; 4(10):5731-6. DOI: 10.1021/nn101390x. View

Coetzee J, Corcoran C, Prentice E, Moodley M, Mendelson M, Poirel L . Emergence of plasmid-mediated colistin resistance (MCR-1) among Escherichia coli isolated from South African patients. S Afr Med J. 2016; 106(5):35-6. DOI: 10.7196/SAMJ.2016.v106i5.10710. View

Iram N, Khan M, Jolly R, Arshad M, Alam M, Alam P . Interaction mode of polycarbazole-titanium dioxide nanocomposite with DNA: Molecular docking simulation and in-vitro antimicrobial study. J Photochem Photobiol B. 2015; 153:20-32. DOI: 10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2015.09.001. View

Thukral D, Dumoga S, Mishra A . Solid lipid nanoparticles: promising therapeutic nanocarriers for drug delivery. Curr Drug Deliv. 2014; 11(6):771-91. DOI: 10.2174/156720181106141202122335. View

Peng Y, Lo S, Ou H, Lai S . Microwave-assisted hydrothermal synthesis of N-doped titanate nanotubes for visible-light-responsive photocatalysis. J Hazard Mater. 2010; 183(1-3):754-8. DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2010.07.090. View

Aung M, Zi H, Nwe K, Maw W, Aung M, Min W . Drug resistance and genetic characteristics of clinical isolates of staphylococci in Myanmar: high prevalence of PVL among methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus belonging to various sequence types. New Microbes New Infect. 2016; 10:58-65. PMC: 4877606. DOI: 10.1016/j.nmni.2015.12.007. View

10.

Jung W, Koo H, Kim K, Shin S, Kim S, Park Y . Antibacterial activity and mechanism of action of the silver ion in Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2008; 74(7):2171-8. PMC: 2292600. DOI: 10.1128/AEM.02001-07. View

11.

Hadinoto K, Sundaresan A, Cheow W . Lipid-polymer hybrid nanoparticles as a new generation therapeutic delivery platform: a review. Eur J Pharm Biopharm. 2013; 85(3 Pt A):427-43. DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpb.2013.07.002. View

12.

Prasannakumar J, Vidya Y, Anantharaju K, Ramgopal G, Nagabhushana H, Sharma S . Bio-mediated route for the synthesis of shape tunable Y₂O₃: Tb³⁺ nanoparticles: Photoluminescence and antibacterial properties. Spectrochim Acta A Mol Biomol Spectrosc. 2015; 151:131-40. DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2015.06.081. View

13.

Nagy A, Harrison A, Sabbani S, Munson Jr R, Dutta P, Waldman W . Silver nanoparticles embedded in zeolite membranes: release of silver ions and mechanism of antibacterial action. Int J Nanomedicine. 2011; 6:1833-52. PMC: 3173047. DOI: 10.2147/IJN.S24019. View

14.

Liu Y, Tee J, Chiu G . Dendrimers in oral drug delivery application: current explorations, toxicity issues and strategies for improvement. Curr Pharm Des. 2015; 21(19):2629-42. DOI: 10.2174/1381612821666150416102058. View

15.

Lellouche J, Friedman A, Lellouche J, Gedanken A, Banin E . Improved antibacterial and antibiofilm activity of magnesium fluoride nanoparticles obtained by water-based ultrasound chemistry. Nanomedicine. 2011; 8(5):702-11. DOI: 10.1016/j.nano.2011.09.002. View

16.

Yamanaka M, Hara K, Kudo J . Bactericidal actions of a silver ion solution on Escherichia coli, studied by energy-filtering transmission electron microscopy and proteomic analysis. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2005; 71(11):7589-93. PMC: 1287701. DOI: 10.1128/AEM.71.11.7589-7593.2005. View

17.

Miao L, Wang C, Hou J, Wang P, Ao Y, Li Y . Aggregation and removal of copper oxide (CuO) nanoparticles in wastewater environment and their effects on the microbial activities of wastewater biofilms. Bioresour Technol. 2016; 216:537-44. DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2016.05.082. View

18.

Ben-Sasson M, Zodrow K, Genggeng Q, Kang Y, Giannelis E, Elimelech M . Surface functionalization of thin-film composite membranes with copper nanoparticles for antimicrobial surface properties. Environ Sci Technol. 2013; 48(1):384-93. DOI: 10.1021/es404232s. View

19.

Daury L, Orange F, Taveau J, Verchere A, Monlezun L, Gounou C . Tripartite assembly of RND multidrug efflux pumps. Nat Commun. 2016; 7:10731. PMC: 4754349. DOI: 10.1038/ncomms10731. View

20.

Pelgrift R, Friedman A . Nanotechnology as a therapeutic tool to combat microbial resistance. Adv Drug Deliv Rev. 2013; 65(13-14):1803-15. DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2013.07.011. View