The recently emerged coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) has become a worldwide threat affecting millions of people, causing respiratory system related problems that can end up with extremely serious consequences. As the infection rate rises significantly and this is followed by a dramatic increase in mortality, the whole world is struggling to accommodate change and is trying to adapt to new conditions. While a significant amount of effort is focused on developing a vaccine in order to make a game-changing anti-COVID-19 breakthrough, novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) is also developing mutations rapidly as it transmits just like any other virus and there is always a substantial chance of the invented antibodies becoming ineffective as a function of time, thus failing to inhibit virus-to-cell binding efficiency as the spiked protein keeps evolving. Hence, controlling the transmission of the virus is crucial. Therefore, this review summarizes the viability of coronaviruses on inanimate surfaces under different conditions while addressing the current state of known chemical disinfectants for deactivation of the coronaviruses. The review attempts to bring together a wide spectrum of surface–virus–cleaning agent interactions to help identify material selection for inanimate surfaces that have frequent human contact and cleaning procedures for effective prevention of COVID-19 transmission.

Antibiotic resistance is a major threat to public health, which contributes largely to increased mortality rates and costs in hospitals. The severity and widespread nature of antibiotic resistance result in limited treatments to effectively combat antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Nanoparticles have different or enhanced properties in contrast to their bulk material, including antimicrobial efficacy towards a broad range of microorganisms. Their beneficial properties can be utilised in various bioengineering technologies. Thus, antimicrobial nanoparticles may provide an alternative to challenge antibiotic resistance. Currently, nanoparticles have been incorporated into materials, such as fibres, glass and paints. However, more research is required to elucidate the mechanisms of action fully and to advance biomedical applications further. This paper reviews the antimicrobial efficacies and the intrinsic properties of different metallic nanoparticles, their potential mechanisms of action against certain types of harmful pathogens and how these properties may be utilised in biomedical and healthcare products with the aim to reduce cross contaminations, disease transmissions and usage of antibiotics.

The resistance to antibiotics in combating bacteria is a serious worldwide problem. The search for new approaches to address antibacterial resistance is therefore of crucial importance and seeking alternatives for the treatment and control of bacterial diseases associated with resistant strains, which is in need of urgent action. There is an ongoing interest in metal-based nanoparticles (MBNPs) and their usage synergy with antibiotics due to their unique properties, such as overcoming bacterial resistance, reducing acute toxicity compared to their sizes, and allowing dosage reduction of active pharmaceutical ingredients. Combining MBNPs and antibiotics not only enhances the antibacterial effect but also allows the inhibition of biofilm production. Furthermore, MBNPs and antibiotics incorporated in polymeric biomaterial matrix have been widely studied to improve their efficiency and devoid the resistance. However, these studies need to be combined in a literature review. Polymeric biomaterials offer high mechanical stability with improved biocompatibility. Moreover, their use makes a single dose of administration of the final product with extended antibiotic half-life possible while slowly releasing their reservoir, which is an advantage in continuously combating resistance. This review focuses on different promising biomedical strategies for enhancing the bactericidal efficacy of antibiotics by the synergistic use of MBNPs, antibiotics, and polymeric biomaterials together to combat the resistance of different bacterial strains. In addition, it is prospected to guide opportunities for new research for future biomedical applications.

Plant-mediated green synthesis is a cost-effective and eco-friendly process used to synthesize metallic nanoparticles. Experimental pH is of interest due to its ability to influence nanoparticle size and shape; however, little has been explored in comparison to the influence of this parameter on the therapeutic potential of resultant metallic nanoparticles. Our work investigated the influence of pH alternation on antimicrobial properties of plant-mediated green synthesized (using Spinacia oleracea leaf extract) silver nanoparticles. We further investigated if the antimicrobial activity was sustained at 8 weeks (after initial green synthesis). Antimicrobial properties were evaluated against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans. Our work confirmed that experimental pH in plant-mediated green synthesis of silver nanoparticles influenced their resultant antimicrobial properties. Silver nanoparticles generated at experimental pH 4,5, and nine showed activity against E. coli which was sustained at various levels over 8 weeks. No antimicrobial activity was observed against S. aureus, and weak antimicrobial activity against C. albicans. These interesting findings highlight the importance of experimental pH. Further understanding of the role experimental pH plays on resultant metallic nanoparticle properties as it relates to biological and therapeutic impact is required, which will have an impact on wider applications beyond antimicrobial activity.

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