Synergistic Effect of Nilavembu Choornam–Gold Nanoparticles on Antibiotic-Resistant Bacterial Susceptibility and Contact Lens Contamination-Associated Infectious Pathogenicity

Abstract

Antibiotic-resistant bacterial colonies mitigate rapid biofilm formation and have complex cell wall fabrications, making it challenging to penetrate drugs across their biofilm barriers. The objective of this study was to investigate the antibacterial susceptibility of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and contact lens barrenness. Nilavembu Choornam–Gold Nanoparticles (NC–GNPs) were synthesized using NC polyherbal extract and characterized by UV-visible spectrophotometer, SEM-EDX, XRD, Zeta sizer, FTIR, and TEM analysis. Contact lenses with overnight cultures of antibiotic-resistant bacteria K. pneumoniae and S. aureus showed significant differences in growth, biofilm formation, and infection pathogenicity. The NC–GNPs were observed in terms of size (average size is 57.6 nm) and surface chemistry. A zone of inhibition was calculated for K. pneumoniae 18.8 ± 1.06, S. aureus 23.6 ± 1.15, P. aeruginosa 24.16 ± 0.87, and E. faecalis 24.5 ± 1.54 mm at 24 h of NC–GNPs alone treatment. In electron microscopy studies, NC–GNP-treated groups showed nuclear shrinkage, nuclear disintegration, degeneration of cell walls, and inhibited chromosomal division. In contrast, normal bacterial colonies had a higher number of cell divisions and routinely migrated toward cell multiplications. NC–GNPs exhibited antibacterial efficacy against antibiotic-resistant bacteria when compared to NC extract alone. We suggest that NC–GNPs are highly valuable to the population of hospitalized patients and other people to reduce the primary complications of contact lens contamination-oriented microbial infection and the therapeutic efficiency of antibiotic-resistant bacterial pathogenicity.