Silver Nanoparticles Against Salmonella enterica Serotype Typhimurium: Role of Inner Membrane Dysfunction.

The evolution of antibiotics-resistant bacteria is considered a major concern. To explore promising antibacterial materials and clarify their unknown mechanisms, the mode of action of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) against Salmonella enterica serotype typhimurium was investigated. We investigated the effect of AgNPs on the bacterial membrane. The N-phenyl-1-naphthylamine assay showed that the permeability of the outer membrane was not changed by treatment with AgNPs. The O-nitrophenyl-β-D-galactopyranoside assay showed that the inner membrane permeability increased as AgNPs concentration increased. Our results showed that AgNPs affected the inner membrane without outer membrane damage. Generally, antibiotic-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) and changes in the Ca