title: Hyaluronan- and heparin-reduced silver nanoparticles with antimicrobial properties.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Silver nanoparticles exhibit unique antibacterial properties that make these ideal candidates for biological and medical applications. We utilized a clean method involving a single synthetic step to prepare silver nanoparticles that exhibit antimicrobial activity.
  
  
  METHODS
  These nanoparticles were prepared by reducing silver nitrate with diaminopyridinylated heparin (DAPHP) and hyaluronan (HA) polysaccharides and tested for their efficacy in inhibiting microbial growth.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The resulting silver nanoparticles exhibit potent antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and modest activity against Escherichia coli. Silver-HA showed greater antimicrobial activity than silver-DAPHP, while silver-glucose nanoparticles exhibited very weak antimicrobial activity. Neither HA nor DAPHP showed activity against S. aureus or E. coli.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that DAPHP and HA silver nanoparticles have potential in antimicrobial therapeutic applications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA.
authors.forename: Melissa M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Kemp
authors.forename: Ashavani
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Dylan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Clement
authors.forename: Pulickel
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ajayan
authors.forename: Shaker
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mousa
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Linhardt
mesh_terms: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects; D006493:Heparin / Q000737:chemistry*; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid / Q000737:chemistry*; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000627:therapeutic use / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D012834:Silver / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D012834:Silver; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid; D006493:Heparin