ERADICATION EFFICIENCY OF SELENIUM AND SILVER NANOPARTICLES AGAINST STAPHYLOCOCCUS BACTERIA

Objective: This study evaluates the antibacterial efficacy of chemically synthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) and characterizes their physicochemical properties. Method: AgNPs were synthesized by citrate-mediated reduction of silver nitrate, whereas SeNPs were prepared by reducing sodium selenite with ascorbic acid in the presence of polysorbate. The nanoparticles were characterized by UV-Visible spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Antibacterial activity was assessed using agar well diffusion, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) assays. Results: AgNPs and SeNPs showed maximum UV-Visible absorbance at 455 nm and 262 nm, respectively. SEM indicated mean particle sizes of 22.44±0.68 nm for AgNPs and 41.34±1.28 nm for SeNPs. Antibacterial inhibition increased with nanoparticle concentration, while AgNPs generally produced stronger inhibition and lower MIC/MBC values than SeNPs. Novelty: The study provides a direct comparative assessment of silver and selenium nanoparticles synthesized and tested under the same experimental framework, linking physicochemical characterization with concentration-dependent antibacterial performance.