Bioactivity of Ag nanoclusters capped with crude protein extracts from the sea anemone heteractis magnifica

Abstract

Novel protein-based nanomaterials are gaining much interest in recent years due in large part to their more environment-friendly preparation schemes coupled with promising biological activities. Although nanoparticles synthesized from protein sources are not new, various researches are still continuously investigating other potential templates and sources of new protein-based materials. In this study, Ag nanoclusters capped with crude protein extracts from the sea anemone Heteractis magnifica (H. magnifica) were prepared via one-pot, green synthesis, and subjected to preliminary biological activity testing. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis indicated successful capping of the nanoclusters, consistent with previous reports utilizing similar synthetic protocols, while scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed the presence of more aggregates on the surface of the prepared nanoclusters. Formation of the nanoclusters resulted in a slight to moderate antibacterial, but not antifungal, activity, although the material also showed a concentration-dependent hemolytic action. In contrast, the unmodified extract did not show any antimicrobial action while being more hemolytic as well. These results demonstrate the potential of these protein-capped Ag nanoclusters as antibacterial agents, although its unwanted hemolytic side effect will have to be reduced for it to have any therapeutic potential. © 2017, Springer Science+Business Media New York