Recent advances in biotechnology applications of bacteriocin-selenium nanoconjugates

Owing to the lack of progress in the development of antibiotics, there is a pressing need for innovative approaches to treat microbial infections. Nanotechnology and natural peptides are innovative approaches that can potentially replace traditional antimicrobial agents. Selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) have the potential to not only be antimicrobial but also serve as anticancer agents when conjugated with bacteriocin. This study aimed to synthesize a novel bacteriocin-selenium nanoconjugate and investigated its biomedical applications. In particular, the bacteriocin-selenium nanoconjugates were characterized via UV–Vis spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. Our study involved testing the antibacterial activity of a bacteriocin-selenium nanoconjugate against the growth of the gram-negative bacterium P. aeruginosa. The antibacterial activity of the preparation was studied via the disk diffusion method, and the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) were calculated. Rupture of the bacterial cell wall was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Additionally, we determined the antifungal activity against Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis and the cytotoxic effects on the MC3T3-E1 cell line. The results showed that the action of SeNPs in combination with bacteriocin against the growth of the bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida species has a synergistic effect. The inhibition zone diameter for P. aeruginosa was 33 mm ± SD, and the MIC and MBC were 15.625 µg/ml and 31.25 µg/ml, respectively. Additionally, the inhibition zone diameters for Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis were 52 mm and 47 mm (±SD), respectively. The cytotoxic effect of the bacteriocin-selenium nanoconjugate on the MC3T3-E1 cell line was 84.97 %. These findings suggest that these complexes could be used as safe alternatives in biomedical applications.