Efficiency of Silver Nanoparticles against Bacterial Contaminants Isolated from Water in Basra

Abstract

The increased rates of morbidity and mortality due to contamination with pathological microorganisms that continuously develop antibiotic resistance has re-emphasized the need for alternative antimicrobial methodologies. Previous evidence showed such activity of Punica nanoparticles. The sources of microorganisms and plants are playing a major role in reduction of metallic nanoparticles such as silver, as it emerges as an eco-friendly and exciting approach in nanotechnology. The purpose of the present work is to investigate the potential antibacterial efficiency of silver nanoparticles obtained from pomegranate peel. Silver Punica nanoparticles with a size of 42 nm were prepared. The synthetized nanoparticles were analyzed by different techniques including UV-VisSpectrophotometer, atomic force microscopy and transmission electron Microscope. The potential of the silver Punica nanoparticles for water disinfection was examined on Enterobacter spp. isolated from Basra river. The results have shown that silver nanoparticles display a high antibacterial activity against bacterial contamination in the water samples of Basra river. In conclusion, nanotechnology provides an alternative solution to clean germs in water.