US EPA

5162078 

Journal Article 

The biocompatibility and antibacterial properties of collagen-stabilized, photochemically prepared silver nanoparticles 

Alarcon, EI; Udekwu, K; Skog, M; Pacioni, NL; Stamplecoskie, KG; González-Béjar, M; Polisetti, N; Wickham, A; Richter-Dahlfors, A; Griffith, M; Scaiano, JC 

2012 

Yes 

Biomaterials
ISSN: 0142-9612
EISSN: 1878-5905 

33 

19 

4947-4956 

English 

22494887 

10.1016/j.biomaterials.2012.03.033 

WOS:000303966100018 

Spherical 3.5 nm diameter silver nanoparticles (AgNP) stabilized in type I collagen (AgNP@collagen) were prepared in minutes (5-15 min) at room temperature by a photochemical method initiated by UVA irradiation of a water-soluble non-toxic benzoin. This biocomposite was examined to evaluate its biocompatibility and its anti-bacterial properties and showed remarkable properties. Thus, while keratinocytes and fibroblasts were not affected by AgNP@collagen, it was bactericidal against Bacillus megaterium and E. coli but only bacteriostatic against S. epidermidis. In particular, the bactericidal properties displayed by AgNP@collagen were proven to be due to AgNP in AgNP@collagen, rather than to released silver ions, since equimolar concentrations of Ag are about four times less active than AgNP@collagen based on total Ag content. This new biocomposite was stable over a remarkable range of NaCl, phosphate, and 2-(N-morpholino)ethanesulfonic acid concentrations and for over one month at 4 °C. Circular dichroism studies show that the conformation of collagen in AgNP@collagen remains intact. Finally, we have compared the properties of AgNP@collagen with a similar biocomposite prepared using α-poly-L-Lysine and also with citrate stabilized AgNP; neither of these materials showed comparable biocompatibility, stability, or anti-bacterial activity.