Toxicity and application of nano-silver in multi-drug resistant therapy

Abstract

Nano-silver toxicity is a major challenge in the field of nanotechnology and nanoscience. Silver nanoparticles have antibacterial activity against gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. The level of nanotoxicity varies according to the size, shape, surface charge and cellular uptake. The size of nanoparticles influences their interaction and reactivity with cell membranes. Silver nanoparticles were investigated for the broad-spectrum antibacterial activities, especially against antibiotic-resistant bacteria. In the present scenario, pharmaceutical and biomedical sectors are facing the challenges of the continuous increase in multidrug-resistant human pathogenic microbes. The development of multidrug resistance has become a global issue with serious consequences in the management of infectious diseases caused by pathogenic bacteria. For the multi-drug resistant therapy, various combinations of antibiotics were used with silver nanoparticles. This review discusses the nanotoxicity and bactericidal potential of silver nanoparticles against the multi-drug resistant bacteria.