title: Selective antimicrobial activity associated with sulfur nanoparticles.
abstract: Many sulfur compounds are known to exhibit widespread antimicrobial activity. The latter is often the result of an intricate redox biochemistry whereby reactive sulfur species, such as organic polysulfanes, interact with pivotal cellular signaling pathways. The S8 unit in elemental sulfur resembles certain aspects of the chemistry of polysulfanes. As a consequence, water-soluble S8-sulfur nanoparticles are active against some smaller organisms, including nematodes, yet are non-toxic against human cells. In contrast, selenium and tellurium nanoparticles are less active. Together, the ease of production of the sulfur nanoparticles, their chemical stability in aqueous dispersion, amenable physical properties and selective toxicity, turn sulfur nanoparticles into promising antimicrobial prototypes for medical as well as agricultural applications.
authors.affiliation: Division of Bioorganic Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Saarland University, 0-66123 Saarbruecken, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Baldauf
authors.forename: Lalla A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Ba
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Jamier
authors.forename: Khairan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Khairan
authors.forename: Mohammed-Bader
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Sarakbi
authors.forename: Nico
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Reum
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Röseler
authors.forename: Katja
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.forename: Torsten
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Burkholz
authors.forename: Paul G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Winyard
authors.forename: Mareike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kelkel
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Diederich
authors.forename: Claus
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jacob
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004563:Electrochemistry; D006801:Humans; D020128:Inhibitory Concentration 50; D008954:Models, Biological; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D009348:Nematoda / Q000187:drug effects; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000187:drug effects*; D013455:Sulfur / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D013455:Sulfur