Supplementing Antibiotics with Varying Sizes of Gold Nanoparticles on E. Coli

Overview

Antibiotic resistance is a growing problem in medicine, leading to an urgency for developing alternatives to traditional antibiotics. Recent research has investigated the potential of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) as a new avenue for antibacterial treatments. In this study, the hypothesis that supplementing antibiotics with spherical AuNPs of various sizes would positively impact the antibiotics’ antibacterial efficacy on Escherichia coli was investigated. Using disc diffusion assay, three different treatment groups were formulated: E.coli treated with AuNPs (10nm, 50nm, 100nm), E.coli treated with AuNP-soaked vancomycin (10nm, 50nm, 100nm), and E.coli treated with AuNP-soaked ciprofloxacin (10nm, 50nm, 100nm). Bacteria treated with AuNPs alone saw no reduction in growth. Vancomycin, which had no antibacterial activity when administered alone, and ciprofloxacin, which did demonstrate antibacterial activity when administered alone, both saw a significant enhancement in antibacterial efficacy when supplemented with all three sizes of AuNPs. The most significant increase in vancomycin potency resulted from supplementation with 50nm AuNPs, and the most significant increase in ciprofloxacin potency resulted from supplementation with 100nm AuNPs. The results of this study suggest that supplementing antibiotics with AuNPs could be a promising approach to improving the efficacy of antibiotic therapy against E.coli infections.

Competition history

• AJAS 2024 Category not listed

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