Superior Performance of Iron-Coated Silver Nanoparticles and Cefoxitin as an Antibiotic Composite Against Methicillin-Resistant  Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA): A Population Study

Hadi N 1 , Nakhaeitazreji S 2 , Kakian F 2 , Hashemizadeh Z 2 , Ebrahiminezhad A 3 , Chong JWR 4 Show all authors , Berenjian A 5 , Show PL 6

Affiliations 

  • 1 Department of Bacteriology & Virology, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
  • 2 Department of Bacteriology and Virology, School of Medicine, Students Research Committee, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
  • 3 Biotechnology Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. [email protected]
  • 4 Faculty of Science and Engineering, Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Nottingham Malaysia, Jalan Broga, 43500, Semenyih, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
  • 5 Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA. [email protected]
  • 6 Department of Chemical Engineering, Khalifa University, P.O. Box 127788, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Mol Biotechnol, 2024 Dec;66(12):3573-3582.
PMID: 37957480 DOI: 10.1007/s12033-023-00957-y

Abstract

The synergistic effects of antimicrobial nanostructures with antibiotics present a promising solution for overcoming resistance in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Previous studies have introduced iron as a novel coating for silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) to enhance both economic efficiency and potency against S. aureus. However, there are currently no available data on the potential of these novel nanostructures to reverse MRSA resistance. To address this gap, a population study was conducted within the MRSA community, collecting a total of 48 S. aureus isolates from skin lesions. Among these, 21 isolates (43.75%) exhibited cefoxitin resistance as determined by agar disk diffusion assay. Subsequently, a PCR test confirmed the presence of the mecA gene in 20 isolates, verifying them as MRSA. These results highlight the cefoxitin disk diffusion susceptibility test as an accurate screening method for predicting mecA-mediated resistance in MRSA. Synergy tests were performed on cefoxitin, serving as a marker antibiotic, and iron-coated AgNPs (Fe@AgNPs) in a combination study using the checkerboard assay. The average minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC) of cefoxitin were calculated as 11.55 mg/mL and 3.61 mg/mL, respectively. The findings indicated a synergistic effect (FIC index 

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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