The College of Science for Women at the University of Baghdad discussed a master’s thesis entitled “ Biological activity of biosynthesized Selenium nanoparticle with Saccharomyces cerevisiae products against Staphylococcus aureus isolated from different clinical sources.” The thesis was submitted by student Maarib Mudhar Farouq for a Master’s degree in Life Sciences/Microbiology, under the supervision of Assistant Professor Dr. Zina Hashem Shehab.
The thesis focused on the development of new antibacterial drugs against antibiotic-resistant bacteria using S. cerevisiae extract to synthesize selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs), which inhibit the growth of Staphylococcus aureus. The study aimed to develop a new safe and effective product using S. cerevisiae yeast extract loaded with selenium nanoparticles, study its inhibitory effect on the growth of S. aureus, evaluate the effect of selenium nanoparticles on biofilm formation by S. aureus, and analyze their potential use as an alternative or complement to conventional treatments.
The results showed that antibiotic susceptibility to eleven different antibiotics was assessed, with S. aureus bacteria showing high resistance to cefoxitin (a methicillin substitute) (55.55%) and vancomycin (55.55%), while resistance rates to other antibiotics varied. Selenium nanoparticles also demonstrated their biological effectiveness as antibacterial and antibiofilm agents. Thus, selenium nanoparticles appear to be promising candidates for safe medical use, either alone or in combination with conventional antibiotics, to inhibit the growth of clinical S. aureus isolates or facilitate the penetration of antimicrobial drugs through S. aureus biofilms. Part Three: The thesis included a study of the antibiotic resistance of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and the biological effectiveness of biosynthesized selenium nanoparticles with yeast products as antibacterial and antibiofilm agents against S. aureus.
The study recommended the need for future research to investigate the applications of this yeast in nanotechnology with other types of nanoparticles and against other pathogenic bacteria.
Final Grade: Excellent
