Synergistic Treatment of Multidrug-Resistant Bacterial Biofilms Using Silver Nanoclusters Incorporated into Biodegradable Nanoemulsions

Multidrug resistance (MDR) in bacteria is a criticalglobal healthchallenge that is exacerbated by the ability of bacteria to form biofilms.We report a combination therapy for biofilm infections that integratessilver nanoclusters (AgNCs) into polymeric biodegradable nanoemulsions(BNEs) incorporating eugenol. These Ag-BNEs demonstrated synergisticantimicrobial activity between the AgNCs and the BNEs. Microscopystudies demonstrated that Ag-BNEs penetrated the dense biofilm matrixand effectively disrupted the bacterial membrane. The Ag-BNE vehiclealso resulted in more effective silver delivery into the biofilm thanAgNCs alone. This combinacional system featured disruptionof biofilmsby BNEs and enhanced delivery of AgNCs for synergy to provide highlyefficient killing of MDR biofilms.