Solution can be applied in ointments and films and targets infections with multi-resistant superbugs
Although new antibiotics have been developed recently, not all of them are capable of containing superbugs, those resistant to these solutions. That's what the Report Annual of the World Health Organization (WHO) released this year, which encourages countries to invest in research to develop innovative antibacterial products.
A process for the synthesis of silver nanocapsules with antimicrobial action It was recently developed by a group of researchers from Unicamp as one of these products. The procedure uses a polysaccharide approved for biomedical use, which acts as a passivation agent – formation of a thin, adherent and protective film – and promotes the encapsulation of silver together with a pharmacological agent. This mixture, which can be applied in ointments and films, aims to combat infections with multi-resistant bacteria.
The procedure, which had its patent filed in 2020, is innovative because it allows the synthesis of silver nanoparticles inside a capsule without using any toxic reducing agent, normally used in processes like this.
In addition to the composition carried out in the technology, professor Catia Ornelas explains that the combination of silver nanoparticles with other bactericidal agents can be explored and evaluate their efficiency against bacteria and superbugs. In fact, the polysaccharide present in the composition itself has already been studied by the group that developed the patent and, when associated with various types of anticancer drugs, it presented positive results. vitro e in vivo.
According to Ornelas, the bactericidal action of the invention occurs because the silver nanoparticles cause defects in the bacteria's external membranes, making them vulnerable to external agents. “This prevents them from producing the energy source necessary for their survival and thus interrupts proliferation”, he explains.
The inventor points out that the reason bacteria become super-resistant is due to the misuse of antibiotics, the widespread administration of the compound in agriculture and the lack of specific diagnoses for bacterial infections.
Read article in full published on the Unicamp Innovation Agency website.
