The antibacterial effect of iron oxide and graphene oxide nanoparticles and their nanocomposites against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria

Abstract

Introduction: Excessive use of antibiotics in the livestock and poultry industry has led to antibiotic resistance in livestock and humans. The use of metal Nano-oxides and nanocomposites has been considered as a new strategy to combat infectious diseases. In this study, the antibacterial activity of iron oxide and graphene oxide nanoparticles and their nanocomposites were investigated.
Materials & Methods: For this purpose, antibacterial activity of iron oxide (Fe2o3; F), Graphene oxide (GO), 0.018g reduced graphene oxide-Fe2O3 Nanocomposite (FG1), 0.036g reduced graphene oxide-Fe2O3 Nanocomposite (FG2), 0.072g reduced graphene oxide-Fe2O3 Nanocomposite (FG3) against Gram-negative (Escherichia coli; E. coli) and Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) bacteria was screened. The antibacterial activity of the five different nanoparticles was assessed by minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), and the time-kill assay methods.
Result: The antibacterial results showed that except for FG1, for the rest of the nanoparticles MIC were 60 μL/mL for E. coli and 50 μL/mL for S. aureus. Moreover, the time-kill assay revealed that the growth of both bacteria was inhibited from the 2nd hour onwards for all nanoparticles.
Conclusion: In general, the results of this study showed that iron oxide and graphene oxide nanocomposites increase their antibacterial effect.