Synergistic effect of AgNPs and gentamicin: Inhibition of multi-drug resistance bacterial biofilm formation and down-regulated fim H gene

Abstract

Antibiotic resistance poses a significant public health concern, particularly in treating urinary tract infections (UTIs) caused by multi-drug resistant (MDR) Gram-negative bacteria. This study presents a novel approach to enhance the antibacterial activity of Gentamicin (Gent) against Proteus mirabilis and Klebsiella pneumoniae through the innovative creation of a silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) nanocomposite, termed Gent@AgNPs, using an environmentally friendly pulsed laser ablation technique. The morphology, size, and elemental composition of the silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were examined using several analytical techniques, including (ZP.DLS, SEM, UV–vis spectroscopy, FT-IR, XRD, and TEM). The results confirmed that the hetero nanocomposite, consisting of silver nanoparticles and gentamicin, exhibited greater antimicrobial activity compared to gentamicin alone against two types of bacteria P. mirabilis and K. pneumonia. The mixture of silver nanoparticles with gentamicin was produced to enhance the drug delivery method to inhibit the growth of K. pneumonia and P. mirabilis, and also prevent the formation of bacterial biofilms on foley catheters. The smartly hybrid nanocomposite displayed an improvement, suggesting that in the future its potential as a viable therapeutic strategy against P. mirabilis and K. pneumonia. Additionally, it could be a promising approach to avoid the growth of bacterial biofilm formation during urinary tract infections (UTIs).