In Situ Gel with Silver Nanoparticles Prepared Using <i>Agrimonia eupatoria</i> L. Shows Antibacterial Activity
Ľudmila Balážová,
Tomáš Wolaschka,
Simona Rohaľová,
Nina Daneu,
Martin Stahorský,
Aneta Salayová,
Ľudmila Tkáčiková,
Jarmila Eftimová
Affiliations
Ľudmila Balážová
Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Pharmacognosy and Botany, University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Košice, 041 81 Kosice, Slovakia
Tomáš Wolaschka
Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Pharmacognosy and Botany, University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Košice, 041 81 Kosice, Slovakia
Simona Rohaľová
Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Pharmacognosy and Botany, University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Košice, 041 81 Kosice, Slovakia
Nina Daneu
Advanced Materials Department, Jozef Stefan Institute, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Martin Stahorský
Department of Mechanochemistry, Institute of Geotechnics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 040 01 Kosice, Slovakia
Aneta Salayová
Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Biophysics, Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Košice, 041 81 Kosice, Slovakia
Ľudmila Tkáčiková
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Košice, 041 81 Kosice, Slovakia
Jarmila Eftimová
Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Pharmacognosy and Botany, University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Košice, 041 81 Kosice, Slovakia
Silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) with antibacterial activity can be prepared in different ways. In our case, we used ecological green synthesis with Agrimonia eupatoria L. The plant extract was used with Ag NPs for the first time to prepare termosensitive in situ gels (ISGs). Such gels are used to heal human or animal skin and mucous membranes, as they can change from a liquid to solid state after application. Ag NPs were characterized with various techniques (FTIR, TEM, size distribution, zeta potential) and their antibacterial activity was tested against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. In accordance with the TEM data, we prepared monodispersed spherical Ag NPs with an average size of about 20 nm. Organic active compounds from Agrimonia eupatoria L. were found on their surfaces using FTIR spectroscopy. Surprisingly, only the in situ gel with Ag NPs showed antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, while Ag NPs alone did not. Ag NPs prepared via green synthesis using plants with medicinal properties and incorporated into ISGs have great potential for wound healing due to the antibacterial activity of Ag NPs and the dermatological activity of organic substances from plants.
