Bismuth nanoparticles obtained by a facile synthesis method exhibit antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans.

Background: Bismuth compounds are known for their activity against multiple microorganisms; yet, the antibiotic properties of bismuth nanoparticles (BiNPs) remain poorly explored. The objective of this work is to further the research of BiNPs for nanomedicine-related applications. Stable Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)-coated BiNPs were produced by a chemical reduction process, in less than 30 min.

Results: We produced stable, small, spheroid PVP-coated BiNPs with a crystalline organization. The PVP-BiNPs showed potent antibacterial activity against the pathogenic bacterium Staphylococcus aureus and antifungal activity against the opportunistic pathogenic yeast Candida albicans, both under planktonic and biofilm growing conditions.

Conclusions: Our results indicate that BiNPs represent promising antimicrobial nanomaterials, and this facile synthetic method may allow for further investigation of their activity against a variety of pathogenic microorganisms.