Activity of Silver Nanoparticles Against Infection in .

is an opportunistic pathogen associated with life-threatening nosocomial and community-acquired infections. Antibiotic resistance is an immediate threat to public health and demands an urgent action to discovering new antimicrobial agents. One of the best alternatives for pre-clinical tests with animal models is the greater wax moth . Here, we evaluated the antipseudomonal activity of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) against strain UCBPP-PA14 using . The AgNPs were synthesized through a non-toxic biogenic process involving microorganism fermentation. The effect of AgNPs was assessed through characterization and quantification of the hemocytic response, nodulation and phenoloxidase cascade. On average, 80% of the infected with and prophylactically treated with nanoparticles survived. Both the specific and total hemocyte counts were restored in the treated group. In addition, the nodulation process and the phenoloxidase cascade were less exacerbated when the were exposed to the silver nanoparticles. AgNPs protect the from infection by directly killing the bacteria and indirectly by preventing an exacerbated immunological response against the pathogen. Our results suggest that the prophylactic use of AgNPs has a strong protective activity against infection.