Minute‑Scale Effective Eradication of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus by Silver Nanoparticles: Balancing Efficacy with Osteoblastic Viability (MC3T3 E1)

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 School of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

2 Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada.

3 Department of Advanced Materials and New Technologies, Iranian Research Organization for Science and Technology (IROST), Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

In the present study, highly pure silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized using a microwave-assisted precipitation method, which yielded pure AgNPs within a 3-minute reaction time. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed that all of the synthesized nanoparticles possessed a pure phase and a face-centered cubic (FCC) crystal structure. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) was subsequently employed to verify the pseudo-spherical morphology of the AgNPs, which exhibited an average particle size distribution of approximately 77.4 nm. The prepared nanoparticles were further characterized by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and the results corroborated both the SEM and XRD findings. The AgNPs demonstrated enhanced antibacterial activity against E. coli and S. aureus when compared with gentamicin, achieving a ≥ 4-log10 reduction in colony-forming units (from ~105 to < 10 CFU/ml, the assay detection limit) within 30 minutes at 50 µg/ml. Remarkably, these AgNPs exhibited exceptional biocompatibility with MC3T3-E1 preosteoblast cells, retaining 75.5% viability at the antibacterial working concentration (50 µg/ml) after 48 h, with the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) remaining above the tested range (> 50 µg/ml). This favorable therapeutic window, rapid pathogen eradication at concentrations well below cytotoxic thresholds, positions these AgNPs as promising candidates for wound management and as a supplementary ingredient for root canal disinfection, ensuring optimal pathogen clearance without compromising healthy cells.

Keywords

References

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Journal of Ultrafine Grained and Nanostructured Materials
Volume 59, Issue 1
June 2026
Pages 104-115

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History

  • Receive Date: 19 May 2026
  • Accept Date: 27 June 2026

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