Comparative Characteristic of Toxicity of Nanoparticles using the test of Bacterial Bioluminescence

DOI : http://dx.doi.org/10.13005/bbra/2211

Download this article as: 

This article is devoted to the study of the luminescence intensity of the recombinant strain of Escherichia coli with cloned gene luxCDABE of the natural marine microorganism Photobacterium leiongnathi when exposed to 20 equimolar concentrations (4 M – 6×10-6 M) of nanoparticles of zinc and copper along with their alloys and mixtures. The levels of toxicity based on the EU50 values decreased in the following order: Zn → Cu- Zn (alloy) → Cu-Zn (mixture) → Cub → Cua. Small-sized nanoparticles of zinc and copper had the most severe toxic effects. Nanoparticles of Cu-Zn alloy and mixture have intermediate toxicity due to the leveling of the toxic effect of zinc and its potentiation of copper and provide evidence for the possibility of creating innovative antibacterial drugs based on nanoparticles of copper and zinc because of their low toxicity and prolonged periods of antibacterial effect. The combined use of zinc and copper reveals the potential of antimicrobial copper to reduce the toxic effects of zinc. Acting as a functional antagonist of copper, the presence of zinc in the nanoparticle inhibits the peroxidation of lipids and generates antioxidant activity, which seems promising.

Bacterial bioluminescence; Escherichia coli K12 TG1; Photobacterium; leiongnathi 54D10; toxicities of Zn; Cu nanoparticles