Antimicrobial Activity of Silver Nanoparticles in a Carboxymethyl Chitin Matrix Obtained by the Microwave Hydrothermal Method

Abstract

Silver nanoparticles have been obtained in a matrix of 6-O-carboxymethyl chitin in the presence of D-glucose as a reducing agent by microwave hydrothermal synthesis. The TEM results show that the silver nanoparticles have a spherical shape; the particle size range is 3–20 nm. The resulting colloidal solution of silver nanoparticles had a strong bacterial effect on gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 21027 (=209 P), Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633, and, to a lesser extent, on gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli АТСС 25922. The synthesized silver nanoparticles showed pronounced fungistatic activity against A. niger INA 00760.