Aluminium oxide nanoparticles inhibit EPS production, adhesion and biofilm formation by multidrug resistant .

is a biofilm forming multidrug resistant (MDR) pathogen responsible for respiratory tract infections. In this study, aluminium oxide nanoparticles (AlO NPs) were synthesized and characterized by TEM and EDX and shown to be spherical shaped nanoparticles with a diameter < 10nm. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) for the AlO NPs ranged between 125 and 1,000µg ml. Exposure to NPs caused cellular membrane disruption, indicated by an increase in cellular leakage of the contents. Biofilm inhibition was 11.64 to 70.2%, whereas attachment of bacteria to polystyrene surfaces was reduced to 48.8 to 51.9% in the presence of NPs. Nanoparticles also reduced extracellular polymeric substance production and the biomass of established biofilms. The data revealed the non-toxic nature of AlO NPs up to a concentrations of 120µg ml in HeLa cell lines. These results demonstrate an effective and safer use of AlO NPs against the MDR by targeting biofilm formation, adhesion and EPS production.