Publication details
Electrochemical Behaviour of Apoferritin Encapsulating of Silver(I) Ions and Its Application for Treatment of Staphylococcus aureus
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2012 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | International Journal of Electrochemical Science |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Field | Physical chemistry and theoretical chemistry |
| Keywords | electrochemical detection; silver; nanomaterial; nanomedicine |
| Description | Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is responsible for several difficult-to-treat infections in humans. Therefore, it is not surprising that other ways how to treat these bacteria are looked for. Silver(I) ions and silver nanoparticles exhibited the highest antimicrobial activity against MRSA but their transporting to the place of needs and in situ determination is an issue. The aim of this work was electrochemical determination of silver(I) ions using four types of modified carbon paste electrodes (CPEs) with different content of carbon nanoparticles. CPE made from expanded carbon was the most sensitive one. Therefore, we optimized the experimental conditions as time of accumulation 60 s, deposition potential 0.5 V and 0.2 M acetate buffer, pH = 5.0 to obtain detection limit (3 S/N) of 5 nM for silver(I) ions. Further, we studied the encapsulation of silver(I) ions into apoferritin as a possible way for transportation of these ions. Primarily we optimized the encapsulation conditions to prepare the most stable complex, which was subsequently utilized for treatment of S. aureus. Based on the results obtained it can be concluded that silver(I) ions remain enclosed in the apoferritin structure until decomposition of apoferritin by bacterial enzymatic apparatus occurs. |