The application of Spirulina platensis based green synthesized silver nanoparticles demonstrated potent anti Shigella flexneri effects by specifically targeting pathogenic gene expressions

Subject Areas : Journal of Nanoanalysis

shadi hajrasouliha ^{1 *} , sahar karami ² , zahra heidary ³ , sepideh khaleghi ⁴ , sarvenaz falsafi ⁵ , Mohammad Karim Rahimi ⁶

1 - Herbal Pharmacology Research Center, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
2 - Department of Biology, School of Basic Sciences, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
3 - Department of Biology, School of Basic Sciences, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
4 - Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Science and Technology, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
5 - Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Advenced Science and Technology, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
6 - Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

Received: 2024-09-11 Accepted : 2025-09-13 Published : 2025-10-03

Keywords: Gene expression, Nanoparticles, Shigella , Silver,

Abstract :

Background: The emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains of Shigella flexneri, an important cause of shigellosis, has led to extensive research to find alternative treatment approaches. Therefore, in the current study, the antibacterial effects of the green synthesized silver nanoparticle (AgNPs) using Spirulina platensis on S. flexneri and also the expression of pathogenic genes ipaB, ipaD, ipaH and qnrS were studied.

 

Methods: After the synthesis of AgNPs using S. platensis, its antibacterial effects on S. flexneri were studied using microdilution method with 96-well plate. Also, in order to determine the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), 10 µL of the contents of the MIC well and so on was swapped on nutrient agar medium. After RNA extraction, cDNA synthesis and primer design, expression levels of ipaB, ipaD, ipaH and qnrS genes was studied using Real-Time PCR technique. Data analysis was done in GraphPad Prism V.8 software.

 

Results: The MIC of the green synthesized AgNPs was measured as 0.0625 μg/ml and its MBC was 0.125 μg/ml. The results of RT-PCR analysis indicated a significant decrease in the expression levels of pathogenic genes ipaB, ipaD, ipaH and qnrS in AgNPs-treated S. flexneri.

 

Conclusion: The green synthesized AgNPs using Spirulina platensis has strong antibacterial effects on S. flexneri and the action mechanism was attributed to the downregulations of ipaB, ipaD, ipaH and qnrS genes. The in vivo and clinical studied are needed.

 

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