Impact of heat on nanocrystalline silver dressings. Part I: Chemical and biological properties.

Thermal stability of heat-treated nanocrystalline silver dressings was investigated using chemical techniques and biological assays. Dressings were heat-treated for 24h at temperatures from 23 to 110 degrees C. Bactericidal efficacy of heat-treated dressings was measured using a log reduction assay, while antibacterial longevity was determined via plate-to-plate transfer corrected zone of inhibition assays. Over the temperature range tested, biological activity dropped from excellent to negligible. Biological longevity results showed that controlled release properties of the dressings were significantly reduced by heat treatments above 75 degrees C. These data illustrate nanocrystalline silver sensitivity to heat. Further, it was clear that dressing efficacy is determined by total available soluble silver, not total silver in the dressing. It was determined that the quantity of soluble silver decreased significantly with increased heat treatment temperatures. These results should be considered in developing new nanocrystalline drug delivery systems.