title: Studies on Enhancement of Anti-microbial Activity of Pristine MWCNTs Against Pathogens.
abstract: Carbon nanotubes (CNTs), owing to their inherently unique properties in the domain of biomedical sciences including drug delivery, offer an exciting platform to the researchers. Of late, their applications have also been successfully established. Recently, single-walled CNTs (SWCNTs) have been explored for antibacterial efficacy, but naïve multi-walled CNTs (MWCNTs) still remained unearthed. The present studies endeavor the investigation of the potential of various non-ionic surfactants in solubility enhancement of MWCNTs and their subsequent antibacterial efficacy against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Polysorbates offer more solubility to MWCNTs vis-à-vis the phospholipids. However, the antibacterial effect was found to be less influenced by solubility but significantly determined by the type of surfactant. Transmission electron photomicrographs confirmed significant adhesion of MWCNTs to the bacterial walls only in the presence of unsaturated phospholipids and this was expressed in the form of lowest minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of MWCNTs dispersed with the same. The findings are unique as MWCNTs were found to be active against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria to a similar extent, though somewhat milder than SWCNTs. However, when dispersed with unsaturated phospholipids, the former offer almost comparable antibacterial effects to that of the latter. The study opens a new research domain to further explore the antibacterial effects of non-functionalized and relatively safer MWCNTs, accentuating the importance of biocomponents like unsaturated phospholipids in this purview.
authors.affiliation: UGC-Centre of Excellence in Applications of Nanomaterials, Nanoparticles and Nanocomposites (Biomedical Sciences), Panjab University, Chandigarh, India, 160 014.
authors.forename: Shikha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lohan
authors.affiliation: UGC-Centre of Excellence in Applications of Nanomaterials, Nanoparticles and Nanocomposites (Biomedical Sciences), Panjab University, Chandigarh, India, 160 014. drkaisar@curaj.ac.in.|Department of Pharmacy, School of Chemical Sciences and Pharmacy, Central University of Rajasthan, Bandar Sindri, Distt. Ajmer, Rajasthan, India, 305 817. drkaisar@curaj.ac.in.
authors.forename: Kaisar
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Raza
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India, 160 014.
authors.forename: Saloni
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Singla
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India, 160 014.
authors.forename: Sanjay
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chhibber
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutics, University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India, 160 014.
authors.forename: Sheetu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wadhwa
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutics, University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India, 160 014.
authors.forename: O P
authors.initials: OP
authors.lastname: Katare
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, School of Chemical Sciences and Pharmacy, Central University of Rajasthan, Bandar Sindri, Distt. Ajmer, Rajasthan, India, 305 817.
authors.forename: Pramod
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: UGC-Centre of Excellence in Applications of Nanomaterials, Nanoparticles and Nanocomposites (Biomedical Sciences), Panjab University, Chandigarh, India, 160 014. bsbhoop@yahoo.com.|Department of Pharmaceutics, University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India, 160 014. bsbhoop@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Bhupinder
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Singh
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000187:drug effects; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests / Q000379:methods; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000737:chemistry; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects; D013501:Surface-Active Agents / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon; D010743:Phospholipids; D013501:Surface-Active Agents
keywords: Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus; antibacterial; dispersability; phospholipid; polysorbate