Antibacterial mechanism of biogenic silver nanoparticles of<i>Lactobacillus acidophilus</i>

The development of reliable, eco-friendly protocol for the synthesis of nanomaterials is a challenging issue in the current nanotechnology. In the present study, we reported an environmentally benign and rapid method for biogenesis of silver nanoparticles using Gram-positive bacterium Lactobacillus acidophilus which acts both as reducing and capping agent. It was observed that the culture filtrate reduced silver ions into silver nanoparticles within 24 hrs of reaction time under room temperature. The UV–Vis spectrum shows the absorbance maximum at 434 nm, which is a characteristic of surface plasmon resonance of silver. X-ray diffraction analysis showed that the nanoparticles were of face-centred cubic crystalline structure. The presence of stable spherical-shaped silver nanoparticles in the size range of 4–50 nm was determined using the transmission electron microscopy analysis. Further, these nanoparticles showed effective antibacterial activity towards Klebsiella pneumoniae. The mechanism of the silver nanoparticle bactericidal activity is discussed in terms of its interaction with the cell membrane of bacteria by causing cytolysis and leakage of proteins and carbohydrates.