Effects of in-vitro copper nanoparticles on common bacterial strains involved in nosocomial infections

Effects of in-vitro copper nanoparticles on common bacterial strains involved in nosocomial infections
Hossein danafar,^1,* Mohammad Javad Forouzani-Moghaddam,²
1. Bachelor of Radiology, School of paramedical, Shahid Sadoghi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
2. Msc of Food Microbiology, School of Paramedical, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Introduction: In recent years, bacterial resistance to antibiotics has increased at an alarming rate. On the other hand, the rate of discovery of new antibiotics has not been able to keep pace with the emergence of resistance. Therefore, there is a need for new approaches to combat bacterial infections. We investigated the antibacterial properties of copper nanoparticles (Nps of copper) in most bacterial strains responsible for nosocomial infections.
Methods: The effect of copper nanoparticles on in vitro growth of standard and clinical strains of Escherichia coli, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Enterococcus faecalis, Klebsiella and Pseudomonas aeruginosa was investigated. Copper nanoparticles with an average diameter of 20 nm were produced using the arc evaporation method. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimum antibacterial concentration (MBC) were determined and the antibacterial effects were compared with the common antibiotics used to treat these strains, ie the disk diffusion method.
Results: Arc-fabricated copper nanoparticles were successfully synthesized. At 50 A, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed analysis of the fabrication of relatively pure, scattered, brown Nps with an average size of 23 nm. Escherichia coli and MRSA showed acceptable levels of sensitivity to copper Nps. The effects of copper nanoparticles were more effective than cephalexin in suppressing Escherichia coli colony formation, while Cu Nps was more effective in suppressing MRSA growth than vancomycin. Other strains showed resistance to copper Nps.
Conclusion: The use of copper nanoparticles may be a good way to treat or prevent infections caused by Escherichia coli or MRSA.
Keywords: Copper nanoparticles, Antibacterial, Bacterial resistance