Effective treatment of Staphylococcus aureus infection with silver nanoparticles and silver ions

Wound healing from bacterial infections is often challenging, especially in patients with chronic disease and severe burns. Owing to the abuse of antibiotics, resistant bacteria emerge and make the treatment of infected wounds more difficult. Treatment of bacterially infected wounds with inorganic antimicrobials may address bacterial resistance. This study explored the antibacterial effects of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and Ag+ in vitro, and their therapeutic effects on staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) infected wounds in vivo. By measuring the minimum inhibitory concentration, inhibition zone and anti-biofilm effect, it was found that AgNPs and Ag + have excellent antibacterial effects on S. aureus and methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and Ag + showed better antibacterial effects than AgNPs in vitro. Besides, it is found that both AgNPs and Ag+ can promote wound healing, but the antibacterial effect of AgNPs is better than that of Ag+ in vivo. In conclusion, AgNPs can be used as a potential antibacterial agent for the treatment of wound infections, and the results of this study can provide a theoretical basis for the application of AgNPs-containing preparations and their derivatives (AgNPs dressings or AgNPs gels, etc.) in the medical field.