Antibacterial Effects of Silver Loaded Hydroxyapatite

The antibacterial capability of silver loaded hydroxyapatite(HA\|Ag) in both poor nutrient phosphate buffer saline solution(PBS,pH=7.4)and nutrient rich medium,which represented two kinds of typical conditions in real life,was evaluated respectively using Escherichia coli as a model.At 0 4?mg/mL in PBS solution containing an initial cell concentration of 10\+6/mL,HA\|Ag killed all the E.coli cells in the PBS solution within 4 5?h .In a nutrient rich medium containing a cell concentration of 10\+7/mL,HA\|Ag exhibited a remarkable inhibitory effect of E.coli cells.The maximum specific growth rate in the medium containing 3?mg/mL HA\|Ag was only 0 292, 26% of that in a control sample which was 1 116,and the viable cell concentration in the former HA\|Ag medium was just 40% of that in the control.As a safe antibacterial agent,HA\|Ag powder demonstrated antibacterial efforts both in poor nutrient and in nutrient rich environment.It seems that the HA\|Ag compound hold a lot of promises for practical applications.