Visualization of gold and platinum nanoparticles interacting with Salmonella Enteritidis and Listeria monocytogenes

Original Research

(2161) Views  (794) Full article downloads

Authors: Ewa Sawosz, André Chwalibog, Jacek Szeliga, et al.

Published Date August 2010 Volume 2010:5 Pages 631 - 637

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/IJN.S12361

Ewa Sawosz¹, André Chwalibog², Jacek Szeliga³, Filip Sawosz², Marta Grodzik¹, Marlena Rupiewicz¹, Tomasz Niemiec¹, Katarzyna Kacprzyk¹

¹Division of Biotechnology and Biochemistry of Nutrition, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Warsaw, Poland; ²Department of Basic Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; ³Division of Microbiology of Analytical Centre, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Warsaw, Poland

Purpose: Rapid development of nanotechnology has recently brought significant attention to the extraordinary biological features of nanomaterials. The objective of the present ­investigation was to evaluate morphological characteristics of the assembles of gold and platinum nanoparticles (nano-Au and nano-Pt respectively), with Salmonella Enteritidis (Gram-negative) and Listeria monocytogenes (Gram-positive), to reveal possibilities of constructing bacteria-nanoparticle vehicles.

Methods: Hydrocolloids of nano-Au or nano-Pt were added to two bacteria suspensions in the following order: nano-Au + Salmonella Enteritidis; nano-Au + Listeria monocytogenes; nano-Pt + Salmonella Enteritidis; nano-Pt + Listeria monocytogenes. Samples were inspected by transmission electron microscope.

Results: Visualization of morphological interaction between nano-Au and Salmonella Enteritidis and Listeria monocytogenes, showed that nano-Au were aggregated within flagella or biofilm network and did not penetrate the bacterial cell. The analysis of morphological effects of interaction of nano-Pt with bacteria revealed that nano-Pt entered cells of Listeria monocytogenes and were removed from the cells. In the case of Salmonella Enteritidis, nano-Pt were seen inside bacteria cells, probably bound to DNA and partly left bacterial cells. After washing and centrifugation, some of the nano-Pt-DNA complexes were observed within Salmonella Enteritidis.

Conclusion: The results indicate that the bacteria could be used as a vehicle to deliver nano-Pt to specific points in the body.

Keywords: morphology, nanoparticles, gold, platinum, bacteria

Other articles by Professor André Chwalibog