In-Vitro Effects of Copper Nanoparticles on Common Bacterial Strains Implicated in Nosocomial Infections

In recent years, the bacterial resistance to antibiotics has grown at a worrying speed. On the other hand, the rate of discovery of new antibiotics has failed to keep up with the emergence of resistance. Thus, there is a need for new approaches for fighting bacterial infections. We studied the antibacterial properties of copper nanoparticles (Cu Nps) on most culpable bacterial strains for nosocomial infections. The effect of copper nanoparticles on in-vitro growth of standard and clinical strains of Escherichia coli, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Enterococcus feacalis, Klebsiella and Pseudomonas aeuroginosa was studied. Copper nanoparticles with average diameter of 20 nm were synthesized by electric arc evaporation technique. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) were determined and the antibacterial effects were compared to the common antibiotics used to treat these strains bymeans of disk diffusion method. The arc-fabricated copper nanoparticles were successfully synthesized. At 50 A, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscope (SEM) analyses showed fabrication of relatively pure, dispersed and brown Cu Nps with average size of 20 nm. Escherichia coli and MRSA showed acceptable levels of susceptibility to Cu Nps; the effects of copper nanoparticles were greater than cephalexin in suppressing Escherichia coli colony formation while the Cu Nps were more effective than vancomycin in suppressing MRSA growth. Other strains showed resistance to Cu Nps. Using copper nanoparticles may be a viable approach in treating or preventing infections caused by Escherichia coli or MRSA.