“…Although the mechanism of action still remains disputed, it is generally accepted that free silver ions (FSI), present or leaking from the materials in contact with the food matrix, are able to bind to membrane constituents, destabilizing the membrane potential and causing proton leakage (Liau et al, 1997;Matsumura et al, 2003). They also interfere with DNA replication and ion transport across the respiratory chain (Feng et al, 2000;Semeykina and Skulachev, 1990;Texter et al, 2007), all of which eventually lead to cell death. Due to this combination of unspecific mechanisms, silver ions are not likely to develop any resistances and are active against a very broad spectrum of bacteria, yeasts, fungi and even viruses in tiny concentrations, remaining nontoxic to human cells (Russell and Hugo, 1994).…”