Mimusops elengi Flower-Mediated Green Silver Nanoparticles Control Staphylococcus aureus and Acinetobacter baumannii

Abstract

The use of antibiotics against infection-causing bacteria is inactivated, due to the presence of antibiotic-degrading enzymes. These enzymes resist the action of antibiotics and make difficult for the already existing antibiotics to break the drug resistance. Hence, there is a need to formulate alternate therapies against the enzymes providing multidrug resistance to bacteria including Staphylococcus aureus and Acinetobacter baumannii. A silver nanoparticle coated with the natural compounds is a way of finding an alternative to the traditional antibiotics. Objective of the study was to identify and assess Mimusops elengi's floral silver nanoparticles (MENP) for its effective antibacterial activity. The methods involved were in silico analysis involving screening by ADME; drug likeness and docking of ligand to the protein (CrtM and CTX-M-15); in vitro analysis which included silver nanoparticle preparation; characterization by UV-Vis spectrum; SEM, FT-IR, DLS, and antimicrobial assays which include agar well diffusion, minimum inhibitory concentration, minimum bactericidal concentration, and anti-biofilm assays. The compounds present in the flower extract were identified and their usability against the enzymes under study was assured by silico screening. The in vitro analysis furthermore supports through showing potent antibacterial activity of MENP against selected organisms. Hence both in silico and in vitro studies reveal that MENP can be used as an alternative to break multidrug resistance.