July 2nd, 2015

Iranian researchers produced a new type of nanoparticles that can be used in medical and pharmaceutical industries due to their antibacterial properties.

The nanoparticles can also be used as visible light sensitive photocatalyst in the purification of water contaminated by medical wastes.
Enrofloxacin is an artificial antibiotic that has acceptable therapeutic performance against a wide range of bacteria, and is used for the treatment of infections in various animals. Excess consumption of this antibiotic in the production of meat strengthens the bacteria against enrofloxacin antibiotic. Therefore, the remaining of this drug in the produced meat may have undesirable effects on humans as the consumers of the products. Moreover, the existence of this type of antibiotic in water results in malignant cancers and digestive malfunctions, including stomach infection, nausea and dysentery.
This research tries to synthesize tin sulfide nanoparticles through an economic and efficient method and use them in the adsorption and degradation of enrofloxacin antibiotic under the radiation of a light. It also studies the antibacterial effects of these nanoparticles on Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria.
According to the researchers, these nanoparticles can be used in the purification of industrial wastewater, specially in pharmaceutics. These nanoparticles can also be used in medical and pharmaceutical industries as inhibitors to prevent the growth of bacteria due to their antibacterial properties.