Targeting bacterial spores with metallic nanoparticles: a promising alternative for food safety

Bacterial spore contamination, often overlooked, presents a significant challenge to the food industry. Spores in bacterial biofilms can resist physical and chemical disinfection treatments and can potentially reinitiate biofilm formation on surfaces and pipelines. Recent studies highlight the potential of metallic nanoparticles, such as silver and iron oxide, in inhibiting spores through mechanisms like structural disruption, spore coat rupture, and germination inhibition. Sporicidal properties of metallic nanoparticles have not previously been extensively explored. This review consolidates previous research on nanoparticle-based sporicidal mechanisms, evaluates their effectiveness, and discusses future research direction for enhancing their efficacy. Metallic nanoparticles offer a promising alternative to chemical disinfectants to inhibit the resistant bacterial spores potentially improving food safety while minimizing environmental impact.