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Bacterial cell permeability study by metal oxide and mixed metal oxide nanoparticles: analysis of the factors contributing to the antibacterial activity of nanoparticles

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Abstract

In this work, we investigate the nanoparticle-cell wall interaction by NiO and mixed metal oxide CuO–NiO nanoparticles. We have synthesized and characterized the nanoparticles using XRD, FESEM, EDS, UV vis. spectroscopy, FTIR, Zeta, and TEM analysis in our previous work. Furthermore, a preliminary antibacterial study showed that both the nanoparticles performed very well as antibacterial agents. In this extended work, we investigate the mechanism of interaction of NiO and CuO–NiO nanoparticles with S. aureus and E. coli cells as there are number of studies for antibacterial mechanism of CuO nanoparticles. The uptake of crystal violet dye in the outer bacterial membrane, the release of ß-galactosidase enzyme, and relative electric conductivity assay were used to investigate changes in the permeability and integrity of the cell membrane. Superoxide ions, which are produced intracellularly as ROS by nanoparticles, severely damage bacterial membranes. Zeta potential measurement, which resulted in surface charge neutralization, proved membrane instability. FTIR analysis was used to identify changes in the proteins, carbohydrates, and fatty acids that make up the chemical composition of cell surfaces. AFM imaging demonstrated extensive alteration of the nanomechanical and surface characteristics. Confocal microscopy examination supported the DNA fragmentation and nanoparticle-cell adhesion. Due to their enhanced antibacterial activity when compared to monometallic oxide nanoparticles, this study demonstrated that mixed metal oxides can be employed in the health and biomedical sectors.

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All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article.

Abbreviations

AFM:

Atomic Force Microscopy

BET:

Brunauer–Emmett–Teller

BJH:

Barrett, Joyner, and Halenda

CFU:

Colony Forming Unit

DAPI:

6-Diamidino-2-phenylindole

DNA:

Deoxyribonucleic acid

EDTA:

Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid

FTIR:

Fourier Transform Infra-Red

FESEM:

Field Emission Scan Electron Microscopy

LB:

Luria Bertani

LPS:

Lipopolysaccharide

MBC:

Minimum Bactericidal Concentration

MIC:

Minimum Inhibitory Concentration

MMO:

Mixed Metal Oxide

NBT:

Nitroblue tetrazolium

ONP:

O-nitrophenol

ONPG:

Ortho-nitrophenyl-β-galactoside

PBS:

Phosphate buffered saline

ROS:

Reactive Oxygen sSpecies

UV–Vis:

Ultraviolet–visible

XRD:

X-Ray Diffraction

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the Department of Chemical Engineering, IIT Kharagpur for providing technical and financial support in the form of a research grant (as this work is a part of Doctoral thesis to IIT Kharagpur). The authors thank Prof. Dipankar Bandyopadhyay and the Centre for Nanotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Assam, 781039, India their assistance in carrying out imaging analysis experiments. Also, the authors thank Mr. Jahar Mahala and Mr. Dhruba Sakha (IIT Kharagpur), Miss. Reena Dey, Dr. Srirupa Bhattacharyya and Dr. K. Dharamalingam (IIT Guwahati) for their invaluable assistance in the reported work. We also thank MeitY—grant no. 5(9)/2012-NANO for financial aids.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, West Bengal, 721302, India

    Debashri Paul & Sudarsan Neogi

  2. Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati, Assam, 781039, India

    Ankur Pandey

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  1. Debashri Paul
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  2. Ankur Pandey
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  3. Sudarsan Neogi
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DP and SN contributed to the conception and design of the experiments. DP performed the research. DP and AP analyzed the data. Imaging/Analytical tools: AP. DP wrote the manuscript. SN is the paper supervisor.

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Correspondence to Sudarsan Neogi.

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Paul, D., Pandey, A. & Neogi, S. Bacterial cell permeability study by metal oxide and mixed metal oxide nanoparticles: analysis of the factors contributing to the antibacterial activity of nanoparticles. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 39, 281 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11274-023-03712-2

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