Promising Antibacterial Effects of Silver Nanoparticle-Loaded Tea Tree Oil Nanoemulsion: a Synergistic Combination Against Resistance Threat

Highly resistant pathogens may be developed in patients with immune disorders after prolonged exposure to antibiotics, a growing threat worldwide. In order to overcome these problems, this study introduces a new class of engineered nanosystems comprising of tea tree oil nanoemulsion (TTO NE) loaded with Ag nanoparticles (NPs). Silver shows a strong toxicity towards a wide range of microorganisms. Also, TTO NE could be employed as a promising and safe antimicrobial agent for local therapies of bacterial infections. The nanosystem was prepared by low-energy method. Mean droplet size of the NE was found to be 17.7 nm. Results of the antibacterial assays showed promising ability of the designed nanosystem for eradication of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria (95%). Also, it was shown that introducing colloidal Ag NPs to the TTO NE exerted a synergistic effect against Escherichia coli (FIC 0.48) while only an additive effect was observed against Staphylococcus aureus (FIC 0.75). The antibacterial effects of TTO NE+Ag NPs together with their compatibility with human cells can present them as a suitable candidate to fight against the antibacterial resistance threat.