Effect of ZnO Nanoparticles, Fullerene (C60) and Pyocyanin on Imipenem Resistant Gram Negative Bacteria Isolated from Hospital Environment

The resistance of bacteria from hospital environments has been less frequently investigated. Twenty-seven Gram-negative bacterial isolates were isolated and identify from the hospital environment. The isolates were Acinetobacter baumanii (16 isolates), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (4 isolates), Enterobacter cloacae (3 isolates) Klebsiella pneumoniae (3 isolates) and Escherichia coli (one isolate). Antimicrobial susceptibility test was performed by disk diffusion method and polymerase chain reaction was used to detect blaNDM-1 genes among imipenem-resistant MBL positive isolates. The results showed that the all isolates were imipenem-resistant, cefotaxime resistance was seen in 48.14% of isolates, ciprofoxacin resistance rate was 11.11%, and 25 isolates (92.5%) were inferred to be MBLs producers. Among these isolates, 11 isolates had blaNDM-1 genes. The antibacterial effect of ZnO nanoparticles, fullerene (C60) and pyocyanin against various bacterial isolates from hospital environment was investigated. Preliminary growth analysis data suggest that ZnO nanoparticles and pyocyanin have signifcantly higher antibacterial effects on bacteria than do fullerene (C60). The nanoparticles reduced the growth of A.baumanii and E. cloacae higher than that with P. aeruginosa and K. pneumonia. It was concluded that nanoparticles and pyocyanin have potential as a therapeutic agent against Gram-ve bacteria from the hospital environment.