Influence of antibiotics and silver nanoparticles on the change of sensitivity of <i>E. coli </i>to antibacterial drugs

Abstract

Research has been conducted to evaluate the effect of antibiotics and silver nanoparticles in combination with antibiotics on the change in antibiotic sensitivity to antibacterial drugs of E. coli ATCC 25922 reference strain and its isolate. Nanoparticles obtained by electron beam treatment of aqueous solution containing water-soluble stabilizing polymer and water-soluble silver salt were used in the experiment. During the treatment a beam of accelerated electrons obtained on the installation of a linear accelerator of the ILU-10 type passed through a solution with a working dose of 5–30 kGy ranging in size from 20 to 60 nm. Sensitivity of microorganisms of E. coli ATCC 25922 reference strain and its isolate obtained from cow endometritis to antibacterial substances and their combinations was determined from dilution with a minimum bacteriostatic concentration. The dilution in the amount of 0.2 ml was added to meat-and-peptone agar and the antibiotic sensitivity of microorganisms was determined by the disk diffusion method. Sensitivity to 24 types of antibacterial drugs was tested. Cultivation of E. coli ATCC 25922 with AgNPs in combination with one of the antibiotics (azitronite, amoxicillin, enroflox, ceftiofur, tylosin, cobactan, oxytetracycline) contributed to an increase in the number of drugs (from 14.3 to 57.1%), to which the microorganism was sensitive. Cultivation of the E. coli isolate with 5 (62.5%) of the studied antibiotics led to an increase in resistance from 1 (5.5%) to 3 (16.7%) antibacterial agents. AgNPs in combination with antibiotics azitronite, amoxicillin, enroflox, ceftiofur, tylosin, cobactan, gentamicin, oxytetracycline contributed to a decrease in the resistance of E. coli ATCC 25922 (from 15.4 to 46.1%) and E. coli field isolate (from 16.7 to 37.7%) to antibacterial drugs. The pronounced ability of AgNPs to increase antibiotic sensitivity was established. This was confirmed by the joint cultivation of antibiotics and AgNPs with E. coli ATCC 25922 and field isolate of E. coli, causing an increase in sensitivity and high sensitivity to antibacterial drugs, which was previously absent. The study confirmed the results of research on the ability of nanoparticles of metals of the transition group to affect the sensitivity of microorganisms to antibacterial agents and to restore it.