Silver Nanoparticles Synthesis From <i>Bacillus subtilis</i> and Its ROS‐Mediated Staphylocidal Activity Against Methicillin‐Resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>

Rapidly emerging antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Staphylococcus aureus is a global health issue that causes life-threatening infections in nosocomial and community-acquired settings. The prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant S. aureus (VRSA) infections is higher in clinical practices, which causes a major hurdle in the treatment. The epidemiology of such systemic and invasive infections results in higher morbidity and mortality, especially in middle-income countries where hospitalization rates and improper drug use escalate the threat. Nanotechnology has gained more attention for preventing acute and chronic microbial infections. The present study aimed to synthesize silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using the cell-free extract of B. subtilis and to examine their antimicrobial effect against MRSA. The synthesized AgNPs were characterized by spectroscopy (UV-VIS, FT-IR) and imaging spectroscopy (SEM, TEM), zeta potential, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis. The efficacy of AgNPs was examined with different Gram-negative and Gram-positive strains, including MRSA with 0.4 mg/mL MIC, and was significantly potent against other pathogens. The AgNPs also displayed bactericidal effects assessed by ROS production, macromolecule leakage, and biofilm formation inhibition, which was inhibited up to 82% at 1.6 mg/mL AgNPs concentration. Our findings suggest that green-synthesized AgNPs show a potent antimicrobial activity against a diverse range of bacterial pathogens by greatly reducing cell susceptibility via elevating ROS production, DNA, and protein leakage. AgNPs equally hamper biofilm inhibition, suggesting the emergence of drug-resistant infections in S. aureus. Further research is warranted to explore their potential in clinical applications.