Metal ions and graphene-based compounds as alternative treatment options for burn wounds infected by antibiotic-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Nathalie Karaky, Andrew Kirby, Andrew J. Mcbain, Jonathan A. Butler, Mohamed El Mohtadi, Craig E. Banks, Kathryn A. Whitehead

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Burn infections caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa pose a major complication in wound healing. This study aimed to determine the antimicrobial effect of metal ions, graphene (Gr) and graphene oxide (GO), individually and in combination, against the planktonic and biofilm states of two antimicrobially resistant clinical strains of P. aeruginosa each with different antibiotic resistance profiles. Minimum inhibitory, minimum bactericidal and fractional inhibitory concentrations were performed to determine the efficacy of the metal ions and graphene composites individually and their synergy in combination. Crystal violet biofilm and XTT assays measured the biofilm inhibition and metabolic activity, respectively. Molybdenum, platinum, tin, gold and palladium ions exhibited the greatest antimicrobial activity (MIC =7.8-26.0 mg/L) whilst GO and Gr demonstrated moderate to no effect against the planktonic bacterial cells, irrespective of their antibiograms. Biofilms were inhibited by zinc, palladium, silver and graphene. In combination, silver-graphene and molybdenum-graphene inhibited both the planktonic and biofilm forms of the bacteria making them potential candidates for development into topical antimicrobials for burns patients infected with antibiotic-resistant P. aeruginosa.
Original languageEnglish
JournalArchives of Microbiology
Early online date8 Jan 2020
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2020

Keywords

  • Graphene graphene oxide
  • metal ions
  • antibiotic resistance
  • burns
  • P. aeruginosa

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Metal ions and graphene-based compounds as alternative treatment options for burn wounds infected by antibiotic-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this