Comparative Study on the Synergistic Action of Garlic Synthesized and Citrate Capped Silver Nanoparticles with β-Penem Antibiotics

Resistance to antimicrobial agents by pathogenic bacteria has emerged in recent years and is a major challenge for the health care industry. For developing a cheap broad-active agent that can be applicable against different pathogens, it is necessary to develop an alternative source for normal antibacterial agents. This paper mainly focuses on the combined action of green as well as citrate synthesized silver nanoparticles and β-penem antibiotics, which are β-lactam antibiotics with penem rings. These silver nanoparticles synergistic potential helps in the enhancement of antibacterial activity of broad spectrum antibiotics. The synergistic actions of citrate capped silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) were compared with that of garlic (Allium sativum) synthesized silver nanoparticles together with action of antibiotics, ampicillin and amoxyclav, and some of the pathogenic organisms showed an increase in the action of antibiotics. 1. Introduction Over the last few years, the β-lactam classes of antibiotics were the most widely used and the most commonly prescribed drugs, which represent more than half of all the antibiotics used in medical field, especially for the treatment of infectious diseases. This is primarily because in general they work perfectly against bacteria, easy to deliver, and are of few side effects. But now most of the bacteria will show wide spread resistance against β-lactam antibiotics by means of production of β-lactam hydrolyzing enzyme (β-lactamases), the utilization of β-lactam-insensitive cell wall transpeptidases, and the active expulsion of β-lactam molecules from Gram-negative cells by way of efflux pumps [1]. Moreover bacteria are capable of producing extended spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs). Therefore, a new choice of β-lactam antibiotics is necessary to overcome all these problems; thus, new β-lactam penems receive much attention. Recently, silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs), which are well known for their antimicrobial activity, are also studied intensively due to the growing bacterial resistance to antibiotics. Silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) have been known to have inhibitory and bactericidal effects against Gram-negative and Gram positive bacteria especially multiresistant bacteria. It can be expected that the high specific surface area and high fraction of surface atoms of Ag-NPs will lead to high antimicrobial activity as compared with bulk silver metal [2]. Therefore, silver nanoparticles can be exploited in medicine for wound healing, dental materials, catheters, coating stainless steel materials, textile fabrics, water treatment,