Antimicrobial and antibiofilm activities of green synthesized silver nanoparticles for water treatment

Abstract

Nanoparticles have found applications in wide areas due to their unique properties. Green synthesis of nanoparticles is an ecofriendly, safe and non-toxic approach that solve the problems associate with conventional methods. Waterborne pathogenic diseases have resulted in millions of deaths in humans especially children annually and infectious microorganism associated with water have all shown multiple resistance to conventional treatments. Bacteria biofilm accounts for majority of microbial infections and are more resistant to antimicrobial agents. The use of antibiotics is ineffective for treating biofilm-associated infections. Green synthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNps) have been reported to have important antimicrobial applications over a wide range of microorganisms, although many researchers have demonstrated in in vitro the antimicrobial activity of AgNps, few researches have been conducted on the exact mechanism of action of AgNps as antibiofilm, the possibility of infectious microbes to develop resistance and the toxicity limit of silver suitable for human consumption. This review discussed biocompatibility of green synthesis AgNps, the concept of biofilm formation, the impacts of AgNps water microbial environment, its mechanisms of action as antimicrobial agent in water treatment and the potential human toxicity.