ACTIVITY OF NICKEL NANOPARTICLES WITH SPECIFIC PHYSICAL PROPERTIES AGAINST IMPLANT-ASSOCIATED INFECTIONS

The prevalence of antibiotic-resistant microorganism strains requires us to search for new antibacterial medicines. The study of the antibacterial effect of metal nanoparticles is mostly dedicated to ultradispersed silver and copper powders, while the antimicrobial activity of nickel nanoparticles is under researched. There are a number of studies suggesting a correlation between metal nanoparticles’ antibacterial activity and their physical and chemical properties. The physical and chemical properties of nickel nanoparticles are studied and oxide film ensuring a prolonged effect of the agent is found on the metal surface. It is shown that nickel nanoparticles form large (1145.00 ± 89.60 nm) agglomerations. Individual nanoparticles are as large as 80.51 ± 2.21 nm. The effect of nickel nanoparticles on the Staphylococcus epidermidis and Escherichia coli clinical strains is studied. The pronounced antibacterial effect of metal nanoparticles dependent on their concentration and exposure time is observed. The research of the potential of the microorganism cell ζ-zeta proves the metal nanoparticles’ adhesion on the surface of a microbe cell due to electrostatic stress. The effect of nickel nanoparticles on Gram-negative and Gram-positive microorganisms’ cell metabolism is estimated and the decrease in the saccharolytic activity of E. coli clinical strains, as well as the reduction of S. epidermidis strains able to turn nitrates into nitrites, is shown.