Screening Small Metabolites from Cells as Multifunctional Coatings Simultaneously Improves Nanomaterial...

Area of Science:

• Nanomaterial science
• Toxicology
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Nanomaterials offer benefits but pose health risks.
• Developing safer and more effective nanomaterials is crucial.
• Cellular metabolites can be explored as biocompatible coatings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify cell metabolites that enhance nanosilver (nAg) biocompatibility and functionality.
• To evaluate the efficacy of metabolite-coated nAg as an antibacterial agent.
• To establish a generalizable strategy for improving nanomaterial safety and performance.

Main Methods:

• Metabolomics analysis of cells exposed to nAg, including volcano plots, PLS-DA, and SAM.
• Assessment of cell viability, oxidative stress, and apoptosis.
• Evaluation of small molecule loading, surface oxidation, ionic release, and antibacterial activity.

Main Results:

• Six key metabolites were identified, with d-sorbitol showing significant reduction in nAg cytotoxicity.
• D-sorbitol-coated nAg demonstrated improved loading, stability, and reduced toxicity.
• Antibacterial activity of nAg against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus was significantly extended beyond 9 hours.

Conclusions:

• D-sorbitol is an optimal coating for nAg, enhancing biocompatibility and antibacterial functionality.
• Metabolite screening offers a novel strategy for developing safer and more effective nanomaterials.
• This approach can be applied to mitigate side effects of various nanomaterials.