Chitosan-Coated Silver Nanoparticles Inhibit Adherence and Biofilm Formation of Uropathogenic Escherichia coli

Urinary tract infections are commonly caused by uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC), which usually presents multiple virulence and resistance mechanisms, making it difficult to treat. It has been demonstrated that silver and polymeric nanoparticles had potential against these pathogens. In this study, we synthesized thiol chitosan-coated silver nanoparticles (SH-Cs-AgNPs) and evaluated their antibacterial, antibiofilm and antiadherence activity against clinical isolates of UPEC. The SH-Cs-AgNPs showed a spherical shape with a size of 17.80 ± 2.67 nm and zeta potential of 18 ± 2 mV. We observed a potent antibacterial and antibiofilm activity as low as 12.5 μg/mL, as well as a reduction in the adherence of UPEC to mammalian cells at concentrations of 1.06 and 0.53 μg/mL. These findings demonstrate that SH-Cs-AgNPs have potential as a new therapeutic compound against infections caused by UPEC.