Characterization of Composite of Silver Nanoparticles with Local Bacterial Cellulose and Determine Its Inhibitory Effects against some Pathogenic Bacteria

Local isolates of Gluconobacter species produced bacterial cellulose. The fact that bacterial cellulose has no antibacterial action to stop microbe infections makes it an intriguing material for use in medicinal medications and industrial coatings. Bacterial cellulose was submerged in a silver nitrate solution to saturate it with silver nanoparticles, resulting in antibacterial action. The present research was conducted to investigate the antibacterial properties of a composite of local bacterial cellulose and silver nanoparticles against MDR Staphylococcus aureus and E. coli isolates. Overall the isolates were obtained from bacteriological unit in Baaqubah Teaching Hospita (different sources of foods). during the period from December 2024 to January 2025. The absorbed silver ion (Ag+) in the bacterial cellulose was later reduced to metallic silver nanoparticles (Ag0) with the help of purified bacterial cellulose. The optical absorption band was visible in silver nanoparticles at about 420 nm. Transmission electron microscopy was employed to analyze the silver nanoparticles' particle size distribution. X-ray diffraction also demonstrated the production of silver nanoparticles. Bacterial cellulose coupled with freeze-dried silver nanoparticles demonstrated potent antibacterial action against isolates of Staphylococcus aureus and pathogenic Escherichia coli. This research presents a green synthesis method for producing a new bio-composite that employs bacterial cellulose as a capping agent, demonstrating its efficacy as an antibacterial agent. The results demonstrated that the inhibition zone of Ag Nps and AgNps/BC against MDR S. aureus ranged between 14-16 mm and 16-20 mm in diameter, and that the silver nanoparticles acquired in the cellulose matrix showed antimicrobial effects on both resistant Gram-positive and resistant Gram-negative bacteria. in the same order, in contrast, the inhibition zone against MDR E. coli varied from 15–17 mm to 18–21 mm.