Application of Silver Nanoparticles in Parasite Treatment

Abstract

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are ultra-small silver particles with a size from 1 to 100 nanometers. Unlike bulk silver, they have unique physical and chemical properties. Numerous studies have shown that AgNPs have beneficial biological effects on various diseases, including antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiparasitic, and antiviruses. One of the most well-known applications is in the field of antibacterial applications, where AgNPs have strong abilities to kill multi-drug resistant bacteria, making them a potential candidate as an antibacterial drug. Recently, AgNPs synthesized from plant extracts have exhibited outstanding antiparasitic effects, with a shorter duration of use and enhanced ability to inhibit parasite multiplication compared to traditional antiparasitic drugs. This review summarizes the types, characteristics, and the mechanism of action of AgNPs in anti-parasitism, mainly focusing on their effects in leishmaniasis, flukes, cryptosporidiosis, toxoplasmosis, Haemonchus, Blastocystis hominis, and Strongylides. The aim is to provide a reference for the application of AgNPs in the prevention and control of parasitic diseases.

Formation Kinetics and Antimicrobial Activity of Silver Nanoparticle Dispersions Based on N-Reacetylated Oligochitosan Solutions for Biomedical Applications

“…The experiments showed that the minimum inhibitory concentration (MICs) values of these dispersions (Table 2, Figure 8) differed insignificantly and were within the margin of error of the method. Comparing the obtained results with literature data [93][94][95][96][97][98][99], one can observe that the MICs of the synthesized silver NPs were higher than or comparable to those of other systems with silver NPs in most cases. One can see that Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213 was the least sensitive to dispersions because the concentrations required to inhibit its growth were the greatest.…”

Nanoparticles for efficient drug delivery and drug resistance in glioma: New perspectives

“…AgNPs are bacteriostatic, binding to sulfhydryl groups on the bacterial wall, blocking the bacterial respiratory chain and ultimately killing bacteria attached to the material surface 161,162 . AgNPs with a particle size of around 25 nm show strong inhibitory and killing effects against dozens of pathogenic microorganisms, including Escherichia coli , Neisseria gonorrhoeae , and Chlamydia trachomatis , and do not cause drug resistance 163–165 . Cotton socks made with nanosilver and combed cotton fibers have very good antibacterial and odor control properties.…”

“… 161 , 162 AgNPs with a particle size of around 25 nm show strong inhibitory and killing effects against dozens of pathogenic microorganisms, including Escherichia coli , Neisseria gonorrhoeae , and Chlamydia trachomatis , and do not cause drug resistance. 163 , 164 , 165 Cotton socks made with nanosilver and combed cotton fibers have very good antibacterial and odor control properties.…”

Advances in stabilization of metallic nanoparticle with biosurfactants- a review on current trends

“…The AgNPs produced using biosurfactants have shown considerable antibacterial and antifungal activity, suggesting that they can be used as an alternative to conventional antibiotics. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) derived from plant extracts have demonstrated remarkable antiparasitic efficacy, displaying a reduced treatment duration and improved capacity to hinder parasite multiplication in comparison to conventional antiparasitic medications [ 159 ]. Numerous investigations suggest that silver nanoparticles prove advantageous in Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) owing to their exceptional stability, tunable size, optical characteristics, and ease of surface functionalization [ 160 ].…”