A silver iodide nanoparticle containing plant extract-based gelatinous composite for antibacterial coating applications.

Malik, Sumati; Saha, Susmita; Sil, Samir Kumar; Datta, Chitraniva; Das, Subhojit

Hospital-acquired infections are frequently caused by bacterial surface contamination. Towards this end, antibacterial coatings can assist minimize pathogen transmission through inanimate surfaces in medical settings. In this paper, we describe a green nanotechnology approach to fabricating a gelatinous nanocomposite, using the composite for coating diverse substrates, and assessing the antibacterial efficacy of dried coatings. Precisely, silver iodide nanoparticles (AgI NPs) have been synthesized by a biogenic method using extract of a common Indian herb Hygrophila auriculata (household name Kulekhara)—the plant being known to have cure for a range of maladies, including bacterial infection, anemia and the like. The AgI NPs on blending with Aloe vera gel led to a gelatinous nanocomposite that could be used for coating glass and paper substrates. Interestingly, the gel coating exhibited excellent antibacterial activity towards gram-negative (K. pneumoniae) and gram-positive (S. pyogenes) bacterial strains. For instance, the results of MIC investigation revealed that the lowest value of about 6.25 and 12.5 µg/mL were the minimum inhibitory doses (IC100 dose) of nanocomposite required to contain the growth of the two pathogens. The findings showed that the dried form of AgI-gel coating retained its antibacterial activity, suggesting, thus, its durability and long-term effectiveness in preventing bacterial infection in food packaging, medical equipment, water treatment, paints, among others.

SILVER iodide; COMPOSITE coating; NANOPARTICLES; GLASS coatings; BACTERIAL contamination; PHARMACEUTICAL gels

Applied Nanoscience, 2022, Vol 12, Issue 12, p3901

2190-5509

Academic Journal

10.1007/s13204-022-02694-1