Assessing the potential biological activities of TiO2 and Cu, Ni and Cr doped TiO2 nanoparticles

Nanoparticles are like magic bullets and nanomaterials exhibit appealing properties. Their size and morphology can be switched by dopants for certain biological activities. Nanoparticles in combination with certain drugs enhance the antibiotic effects and may be valuable in combating bacterial resistance. The antimicrobial potency of nanoparticles depends upon their ability to bind to the surface of microbial cell membranes resulting in modulation of basic cell functions such as respiration. We report herein the antibacterial, antifungal and antioxidant activities of pure TiO2 and TiO2 doped with 4% Cu, Ni and Cr. The performance of pure and doped nanoparticles has been compared with reference compounds. A comparison of the antifungal activities of the samples doped with TiO2 reveals that Cu-TiO2 exhibits improved performance against A. fumigatus but lower antifungal activity against Mucor sp. and F. solani. Cu-TiO2 and Ni-TiO2 showed good antibacterial action against B. bronchiseptica, while Cr-TiO2 nanoparticles displayed better activity against S. typhimurium as compared to pure TiO2. Moreover, pristine TiO2 and Ni-TiO2 nanoparticles were found to demonstrate maximum total antioxidant capacity.