Silver Nanomaterials as Antimicrobial Agents

Recently, a team of researchers from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Bhopal, developed a safe and easy procedure to produce silver nanomaterials that can be used as antimicrobial agents.

Key Highlights: Tyrosine: The researchers used the amino acid tyrosine - present in food items such as meat, dairy, nuts, and beans - to produce nanomaterials of silver that had excellent antimicrobial properties.

• Process: They treated silver nitrate with tyrosine in the presence of caustic soda. Tyrosine functioned as a reducing agent and capping agent to produce silver nanomaterials.

Significance: Silver, the common ornamental metal, when present as nano-sized particles, has good antimicrobial properties. Medical practitioners have used silver in various forms to prevent infections and promote healing from ancient times.

• Generally, silver nanomaterials are produced using toxic precursors that often generate harmful by-products inside the system. The procedure developed by the IISER team has overcome this problem.
• As the product comprises two components, it can be utilized for multiple purposes, from photophysical studies to applications in biological systems.