Formulation, characterization, and enhanced antibacterial activity of Ag₂O-loaded levofloxacin nanoparticles (Ag₂O-LFNs) against multidrug-resistant Salmonella typhi
Abstract
The study was designed to develop and evaluate silver oxide-loaded levofloxacin nanoparticles (Ag₂O‑LFNs) as a nanotechnology-based strategy to improve the treatment of Salmonella typhi infections. Ag₂O nanoparticles were synthesized by controlled alkaline precipitation, loaded with levofloxacin via adsorption, and optimized for particle size, polydispersity, zeta potential, encapsulation efficiency, and drug loading. The optimized formulation exhibited nanoscale size (~140 nm), low PDI, a moderately negative zeta potential, and high encapsulation efficiency (78-93%) with drug loading in the range of 10-15%, indicating efficient association of levofloxacin with the Ag₂O matrix. FTIR analysis confirmed the coexistence of characteristic levofloxacin and Ag-O bands with minor shifts, suggesting noncovalent interactions without structural degradation of the drug. In vitro release studies demonstrated a biphasic, sustained-release profile for Ag₂O‑LFNs, with only ~42.6% drug released at 4 h and ~78.4% at 24 h compared with >90% release from free levofloxacin within 4 h, and the release data best fitted the Higuchi diffusion model (R² ≈ 0.99). Antibacterial assays against S. typhi showed larger inhibition zones for Ag₂O‑LFNs (27.4 ± 1.2 mm) than for free levofloxacin (20.1 ± 0.9 mm) or Ag₂O alone (14.7 ± 0.8 mm), and a four-fold reduction in MIC (1.0 vs. 4.0 µg/mL), indicating a pronounced synergistic effect between Ag₂O and levofloxacin. Overall, the results demonstrate that…
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