Current Research on Silver Nanoparticles: Synthesis, Characterization, and Applications

Figure 4

Proposed antimicrobial mechanism of action of Ag NPs: (1) Ag NPs adhere to microbial cell surfaces and results in membrane damage and altered transport activity. (2) Ag NPs penetrate inside the microbial cells and interact with cellular organelles. (3) Ag NPs cause an increase in ROS inside the microbial cells leading to cell damage. (4) Direct DNA damage and disruption of cellular signal. (Generated from https://biorender.com/.)