Abstract
Silver is easily available and is known to have microbicidal effect; moreover, it does not impose any adverse effects on the human body. The microbicidal effect is mainly due to silver ions, which have a wide antibacterial spectrum. Furthermore, the development of multidrug-resistant bacteria, as in the case of antibiotics, is less likely. Silver ions bind to halide ions, such as chloride, and precipitate; therefore, when used directly, their microbicidal activity is shortened. To overcome this issue, silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) have been recently synthesized and frequently used as microbicidal agents that release silver ions from particle surface. Depending on the specific surface area of the nanoparticles, silver ions are released with high efficiency. In addition to their bactericidal activity, small Ag NPs (<10 nm in diameter) affect viruses although the microbicidal effect of silver mass is weak. Because of their characteristics, Ag NPs are useful countermeasures against infectious diseases, which constitute a major issue in the medical field. Thus, medical tools coated with Ag NPs are being developed. This review outlines the synthesis and utilization of Ag NPs in the medical field, focusing on environment-friendly synthesis and the suppression of infections in healthcare workers (HCWs).
Highlights
Silver is widely used in industrial applications because of its metallic properties, such as conductivity, and in the medical field due to its antimicrobial effect [1]
This review describes representative methods for synthesizing focusing on environment-friendly synthesis, theirtheir effect on microorganisms and and viruses, and and theirtheir focusing on environment-friendly synthesis, effect on microorganisms viruses, application to medical devices, the suppression of infections in both patients and application to medical devices, the suppression of infections in both patients and healthcare healthcare (HCWs)
They revealed that the nanoparticles accumulate in “pits” that are formed in the cell wall; the release of free radicals from the Ag NPs damages the cell and annihilates the bacteria [5]
Summary
Silver is widely used in industrial applications because of its metallic properties, such as conductivity, and in the medical field due to its antimicrobial effect [1]. The antibacterial activity of silver is mainly attributed to silver ions, which are released from a silver-containing substance and interact with the thiol groups of enzymes and proteins that support bacterial life, affecting cell respiration and killing the cells [3]. Sci. 2019, 20, 3620 with the thiol groups of enzymes and proteins that support bacterial life, affecting cell respiration and killing the cells [3] When halide ions, such as chloride, are present in the environment, bind to them and and precipitate, losing their water solubility and antibacterial precipitate,silver losingions their water solubility antibacterial activity. This review describes representative methods for synthesizing focusing on environment-friendly synthesis, theirtheir effect on microorganisms and and viruses, and and theirtheir focusing on environment-friendly synthesis, effect on microorganisms viruses, application to medical devices, the suppression of infections in both patients and application to medical devices, the suppression of infections in both patients and healthcare healthcare (HCWs)
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