Investigation of functional selenium nanoparticles as potent antimicrobial agents against superbugs

Developing highly effective antibacterial agents is important for a wide range of applications. However, the emergence of multiple antibiotic-resistant bacteria poses a public health threat. Many developed agents have limited practical application due to chemical instability, low biocompatibility, and poor long-term antibacterial efficiency. In the following study, we synthesize a synergistic nanocomposite by conjugating quercetin (Qu) and acetylcholine (Ach) to the surface of Se nanoparticles (Qu–[email protected]). Quercetin has been reported to exhibit a wide range of biological activities related to their antibacterial activity and acetylcholine as a neurotransmitter, which can combine with the receptor on the bacterial cell. Arrows indicate NPs and arrowheads indicate compromised cell walls. The study demonstrated how Qu–[email protected] exhibit a synergistically enhanced antibacterial performance against the multidrug-resistant superbugs (MDRs) compared to [email protected] and [email protected] alone. Qu–[email protected] are effective against MDRs, such as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), at a low dose. The mechanistic studies showed that Qu–[email protected] attach to the bacterial cell wall, causing irreversible damage to the membrane, and thereby achieving a remarkable synergistic antibacterial effect to inhibit MRSA. The findings suggested that the synergistic properties of quercetin and acetylcholine enhance the antibacterial activity of SeNPs. In this way, Qu–[email protected] comprise a new class of inorganic nano-antibacterial agents that can be used as useful applications in biomedical devices. The Qu–[email protected] have low cytotoxicity when tested on normal human cells in vitro. Qu–[email protected] are effective against MDRs, such as Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), at a low dose. Importantly, Qu–[email protected] showed no emergence of resistance. These results suggest that Qu–[email protected] have excellent antibacterial activities. These agents can serve as good antibacterial agents against superbugs. Our data suggest that these antibacterial agents may have widespread application in the field of medicine for combating infectious diseases caused by MDRs, as well as other infectious diseases.