Synergistic Activity of Gloeophyllum striatum-Derived AgNPs with Ciprofloxacin and Gentamicin Against Human Pathogenic Bacteria

TL;DR

This study explores combining silver nanoparticles with antibiotics to enhance their effectiveness against bacteria like Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Contribution

The study demonstrates that combining AgNPs with gentamicin significantly enhances antimicrobial activity against S. aureus.

Findings

Combining AgNPs with gentamicin at specific concentrations showed the most significant effect against S. aureus.

The tested antimicrobials increased inhibitory activity against S. aureus biofilm formation.

Lipidomic analysis showed altered cell membrane properties in bacteria depending on the antimicrobial combination used.

Abstract

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are used in a variety of different fields due to their excellent antimicrobial potential. Despite clear advantages, concerns about their toxicity have arisen, also concerning biogenic nanoparticles. Simultaneously, global healthcare is facing a problem of spreading antimicrobial resistance towards existing antibiotics. Using combined therapies involving AgNPs and antibiotics seems to be a promising solution to the above problems. The aim of this study was to evaluate the enhancement of the effectiveness of AgNPs, ciprofloxacin, and gentamicin against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The research involved the assessment of antimicrobial and antibiofilm-forming activities and the analysis of phospholipid and fatty acid profiles. Our results showed that combining the tested antimicrobials can enhance their activity against the tested bacterial strains. However, no effect was observed while mixing AgNPs with ciprofloxacin against P. aeruginosa. The most significant effect was obtained by combining 3.125 µg/mL of AgNPs with 0.125 µg/mL of gentamicin against S. aureus. It was also shown that the tested antimicrobials applied in combination exhibited an increased inhibitory activity towards bacterial biofilm formation by S. aureus. Lipidomic analysis revealed that under the influence of the tested antimicrobials, the properties of the cell membrane were altered in different ways depending on the bacterial strain.

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