In the present study, we report the preparation of silver nanoparticles in the range of 10–15 nm with increased stability and enhanced anti-bacterial potency. The morphology of the nanoparticles was characterized by transmission electron microscopy. The antibacterial effect of silver nanoparticles used in this study was found to be far more potent than that described in the earlier reports. This effect was dose dependent and was more pronounced against gram-negative bacteria than gram-positive organisms. Although bacterial cell lysis could be one of the reasons for the observed antibacterial property, nanoparticles also modulated the phosphotyrosine profile of putative bacterial peptides, which could thus affect bacterial signal transduction and inhibit the growth of the organisms.

Thrombotic disorders have emerged as serious threat to society. As anticoagulant and thrombolytic therapies are usually associated with serious bleeding complications, the focus has now shifted to regulating and maintaining platelets in an inactive state. In the present study we show that nanosilver has an innate antiplatelet property and effectively prevents integrin-mediated platelet responses, both in vivo and in vitro, in a concentration-dependent manner. Ultrastructural studies show that nanosilver accumulates within platelet granules and reduces interplatelet proximity. Our findings further suggest that these nanoparticles do not confer any lytic effect on platelets and thus hold potential to be promoted as antiplatelet/antithrombotic agents after careful evaluation of toxic effects.

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In situ precipitation of microporous and nanosized hydroxyapatite particles (5–40 nm) has been conducted in poly(vinyl alcohol) and bovine serum albumin gels. The process, which is similar to biomineralization, is highly controlled with respect to microstructural features, such as size and shape, and to precipitation of hydroxyapatite phase having a calcium:phosphorus stoichiometric ratio of 1.67. Nanosized precipitated hydroxyapatite particles show remarkable thermal stability and do not decompose to other calcium phosphate phases, even at higher temperatures.