Utilization of antibacterial components-conjugated
nanoparticles
(NPs) is emerging as an attractive strategy for combating various
pathogens. Herein, we demonstrate that Ag/BN NPs and antibiotic-loaded
BN and Ag/BN nanoconjugates are promising carriers to fight bacterial
and fungal infections. Extensive biological tests included two types
of Gram-positive methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus
aureus strains (B8469 and MW2), two types of Gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains (ATCC27853 and B1307/17),
and 47 types of Escherichia coli strains
(including 41 multidrug-resistant ones), as well as five types of
fungal cultures: Candida albicans (candidiasis-thrush)
ATCC90028 and ATCC24433, Candida parapsilosis ATCC90018, Candida auris CBS109113, and Neurospora crassa
wt. We have demonstrated
that, even within a single genus Escherichia, there
are many hospital E. coli strains with
multi-drug resistance to different antibiotics. Gentamicin-loaded
BN NPs have high bactericidal activity against S. aureu
s, P. aeruginosa,
and 38 types of the E. coli strains.
For the rest of the tested E. coli strains, the Ag
nanoparticle-containing nanohybrids have shown superior bactericidal
efficiency. The Ag/BN nanohybrids and amphotericin B-loaded BN and
Ag/BN NPs also reveal high fungicidal activity against C. albicans, C. auris, C. parapsilosis, and N. crassa cells. In addition, based on the density functional theory calculations,
the nature of antibiotic-nanoparticle interaction, the sorption capacity
of the BN and Ag/BN nanohybrids for gentamicin and amphotericin B,
and the most energetically favorable positions of the drug molecules
relative to the carrier surface, which lead to lowest binding energies,
have been determined. The obtained results clearly show high therapeutic
potential of the antibiotic-loaded Ag/BN nanocarriers providing a
broad bactericidal and fungicidal protection against all of the studied
pathogens.