Nanotechnological approaches for the development of novel antimicrobial strategies

Due to their diverse and multiple antimicrobial features, inorganic and organic nanoparticles (NPs) represent promising candidates for the development of novel antimicrobial strategies, which could be used to complement current antimicrobial agents that fail to combat pathogens, including multidrug-resistant and biofilmforming microorganisms. The high surface / volume ratio of NPs provides a maximum loading of therapeutic molecules. Additionally, NPs coated with different antimicrobial agents could represent an important alternative strategy to combat biofilm infections. Among the most common types of NPs, the metal, metal oxide and carbonbased NPs are the most used for antimicrobial applications and the purpose of this review is to present some of their antimicrobial features.