Antibacterial properties of nine pure metals: a laboratory study using Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli

Bacterial attachment and growth on material surfaces are considered to be the primary steps leading to the formation of biofilm. Biofilms in hospital and food processing settings can result in bacterial infection and food contamination, respectively. Prevention of bacterial attachment, therefore, is...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Biofouling (Chur, Switzerland) Switzerland), 2010-01, Vol.26 (7), p.851-858
Main Authors: Yasuyuki, Miyano, Kunihiro, Koyama, Kurissery, Sreekumari, Kanavillil, Nandakumar, Sato, Yoshiro, Kikuchi, Yasushi
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology
antibacterial metals
Bacterial Adhesion - drug effects
Biofilms - drug effects
Biofilms - growth & development
Cell Wall - drug effects
Culture Media
Escherichia coli
Escherichia coli - drug effects
Escherichia coli - growth & development
Escherichia coli - ultrastructure
JIS Z 2801
Metals, Heavy - pharmacology
Microbial Sensitivity Tests - methods
Microscopy, Electron, Transmission
pure metals
Staphylococcus aureus
Staphylococcus aureus - drug effects
Staphylococcus aureus - growth & development
Staphylococcus aureus - ultrastructure
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Summary:Bacterial attachment and growth on material surfaces are considered to be the primary steps leading to the formation of biofilm. Biofilms in hospital and food processing settings can result in bacterial infection and food contamination, respectively. Prevention of bacterial attachment, therefore, is considered to be the best strategy for abating these menaces and therefore the development of antibacterial metals becomes important. In this study, nine pure metals, viz. titanium, cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc, zirconium, molybdenum, tin, and lead have been tested for their antibacterial properties against two bacterial strains, Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative Escherichia coli. This was accomplished using two assay methods, the film contact method and the shaking flask method. The results show that the antibacterial properties varied significantly with different metals and the effectiveness of metals to resist bacterial attachment varied with the bacterial strain. Among the metals tested, titanium and tin did not exhibit antibacterial properties. TEM images showed that metal accumulation resulted in the disruption of the bacterial cell wall and other cellular components.
ISSN:0892-7014
1029-2454
DOI:10.1080/08927014.2010.527000