Development of a nanohybrid system by selenium nanoparticles and lysozyme amyloid fibrils with improved conductivity and antibacterial activity

Today, nanoparticles have promised a variety of applications in conjugation with biomolecules. Selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) have shown to be potential candidates in a wide range of applications, and amyloid fibrils with well-known physicochemical stability and ability to mimic the extracellular matrix have been highlighted with possible use in tissue engineering. To exploit the dual properties of nano and bio components in biomedical applications, this research aimed to develop a nanohybrid system through assembling SeNPs on lysozyme amyloid fibrils and investigate possibility of incorporating two features of conductivity and antibacterial effect of SeNPs into the hybrid system. Spectroscopic and microscopy techniques including UV–Vis, far-UV circular dichroism spectropolarimetry, thioflavin-T assay, and transmission electron microscopy were used to characterize formation of the amyloid fibrils, selenium nanoparticles, and their hybrid form. Antibacterial activity of the individual components as well as the hybrid was determined against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Assembly of SeNPs on amyloid fibrils enhanced antibacterial activity as shown by the minimum inhibitory concentration method and improved conductivity using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Results of this investigation suggest that combination of nanoparticles with amyloid fibrils paves the way for the development of versatile nanohybrid systems with improved properties and promising application in regenerative medicine.