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Capping 1,3-propanedithiol to boost the antibacterial activity of protein-templated copper nanoclusters
Amit Nain1, Yu-Ting Tseng2, Shih-Chun Wei2
1Institute of Physics, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan; Nano Science and Technology Program, Taiwan International Graduate Program, Institute of Physics, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan; Department of Engineering and System Science, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, 30013, Taiwan; Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan.
Abstract:
We have prepared copper nanoclusters (Cu NCs) in the presence of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and 1,3-propanedithiol (PDT). The PDT/BSA-Cu NCs possess great activities against different types of bacteria, including non-multidrug-resistant bacteria (Escherichia coli, Salmonella Enteritidis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus) and multidrug-resistant bacteria (methicillin-resistant S. aureus). Their minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values are at least 242-fold and 10-fold lower than that of the free PDT and BSA-Cu NCs, respectively. The PDT/BSA-Cu NCs are strongly bound to the bacterial membrane, in which they induce the generation of ascorbyl (Asc) and perhydroxyl (HOO) radicals that result in disruption of their membrane integrity. At a concentration of 100-fold higher than their MIC for Escherichia coli, the PDT/BSA-Cu NCs exhibit negligible cytotoxicity towards the tested mammalian cells and show insignificant hemolysis. We have further demonstrated that low-cost PDT/BSA-Cu NCs-coated carbon fiber fabrics (CFFs) are effective against antibacterial growth, showing their great potential for antifouling applications.
