The Screening of Antibacterial Activity of Selenium Nanoparticles Produced by Indonesian Marine Actinomycetes

Actinomycetes strains can reduce SeO3-2 (selenite) and (or) SeO4-2 (selenate) to Se0, which is less toxic by forming selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs). This study aimed to screen the actinomycetes strains capable of biosynthesizing and producing SeNPs with antibacterial activity. This study showed that the antibacterial properties of SeNPs were synthesized biologically by the three strains of actinomycetes, e.g., the strains BLH 5-21, BLH 5-22, and BLH 12-1. The nanoparticles synthesized by the three actinomycetes strains were active against the pathogenic tested bacteria: Bacillus subtilis BTCC B-612, Staphylococcus aureus BTCC B-611, Micrococcus luteus BTCC B-552, Escherichia coli BTCC B-609, and Candida albicans Y-033. The PSA and SEM images showed that the selenium nanoparticles from strain BLH 12-1 had a spherical shape, and their mean diameter was between 64-110 nm, with an average size of 98 nm. The biogenic selenium nanoparticles have exhibited promising application prospects in medicine, biosensors, and environmental remediation. These microorganisms might be explored as the potential of microbial nano factory for synthesizing metal nanoparticles.