Efficacy of Stenocereus queretaroensis-Derived Silver Nanoparticles Against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Biofilms: Synthesis and Antibiofilm Activity

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is responsible for many infections, primarily due to its ability to form biofilms. Nanotechnology has recently been proposed as an alternative for controlling MRSA. In the present work, we evaluated the antimicrobial and antibiofilm activities of silver nanoparticles synthesized with Stenocereus queretaroensis peel extract (SAgNPs). The biosynthesis process was optimized using a response surface design. The results showed antimicrobial activity against MRSA bacteria, with a minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration of 0.15 and 0.31 µg/mL, respectively. SAgNPs inhibited biofilm formation in multi-well plates and Congo red agar. Molecular docking analysis revealed that the presence of quercetin, one of the chemical components of S. queretaroensis peel, forms hydrogen bonds with six interacting amino acids. This suggests that quercetin presents a stable binding to this site, which in turn suggests that the mechanism of action of SAgNPs is related to their binding to PBP2a. Therefore, these findings suggest a promising, environmentally friendly approach to combating antibiotic-resistant infections, potentially reducing the reliance on traditional antibiotics.