Antibacterial action of doped CoFe2O4 nanocrystals on multidrug resistant bacterial strains.

The bactericidal effect of pristine and doped cobalt ferrite nanoparticles has been evaluated against multiple drug resistant clinical strains by assessing the number of colony-forming units (CFU). Monophasic polycrystalline ferrites have been prepared by the malate-glycolate sol-gel autocombustion method as confirmed by the X-ray diffraction study. Various changes occurring during the preparative stages have been demonstrated using TG-DTA analysis which is well complemented by the FTIR spectroscopy. The antibacterial studies carried out demonstrate a bactericidal effect of the nanoparticles wherein the number of CFU has been found to decrease with doping. Cellular distortions have been revealed through SEM. Variation in the number of CFU with dopant type has also been reported herein.