Bovine Serum Albumin-Mediated Synthesis and Quorum Sensing Inhibitory Properties of Ag–Ag 2 S Nanoparticles

Aim: Quorum sensing (QS) is a density-dependent chemical process of cell-to-cell communication in which certain signals are activated, leading to the coordination of pathogenic behaviors and the regulation of virulence in bacteria. Inhibition of QS can prevent biofilm formation and reduce virulence behaviors of bacteria. Herein, bovine serum albumin (BSA)-coated silver nanoparticles (NPs) (Ag-Ag2S@BSA NPs) were synthesized and studied as an anti-QS agent. Materials & methods: Ag-Ag2S NPs prepared through a BSA-mediated biomineralization process under ambient aqueous conditions and their physicochemical properties were characterized. The anti-QS activity of the resulting BSA-coated NPs (Ag-Ag2S@BSA NPs) was investigated for the first time. Results & conclusion: The result confirmed the potential of Ag-Ag2S@BSA NPs as novel and useful therapeutic tools for antibacterial purposes.The overuse of antibiotics has caused the development of drug-resistant strains of bacteria. Nowadays, drug resistance is one of the main challenges in the treatment and prevention of microbial diseases. In general, many bacterial species communicate with each other through a population-dependent mechanism called quorum sensing to control their physiological activities. Therefore, inhibiting the quorum sensing mechanism is an attractive alternative to antibiotics and also reduces the risk of drug resistance, and this can be achieved by nanoparticles (NPs). Among these nanostructures, Ag NPs have received particular attention due to their antimicrobial, antibiofilm, anticancer and antioxidant properties. Herein, we report a method that applies a BSA-guided green and one-pot approach for achieving Ag–Ag2S NPs as potential antibacterial agents.