Facile Synthesis and Characterization of Chitosan Nanoparticles from Archachatina marginata Shell as Potential Solution to Antimicrobial Resistance

The growing resistance to existing antimicrobial formulations poses a great concern for global public health and demands the development of alternatives. Chitosan was synthesized from Archachatina marginata shell and characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and its antibacterial activity assessed against Staphylococcus aureus (hemolytic and clinical strain), Staphylococcus saprophyticus DSM 18669, Escherichia coli 0157, Klebsiella pneumonia EO1 16S ribosomal RNA gene, and Salmonella typhi ATCC 13311. FTIR revealed hydroxyl, carbonyl, and amide as the main functional groups. XRD identified crystalline features, while SEM images indicated a grainy surface with clustering of uneven particles with TEM images showed polygonal particles, rod-like structures, and spherical voids on the surface with diameters ranging from 5.80 to 31.05 nm. EDXRF and EDS indicated calcium, carbon, and oxygen as the main elements. Chitosan produced the highest inhibition zone of 39 mm against Staphylococcus saprophyticus DSM, while there was no effect on Salmonella typhi ATCC 1331, and the minimum inhibitory concentration was between 0.0781 and 0.3125 mg/mL for tested strains. Chitosan’s antibacterial activity compared favorably to levofloxacin, a synthetic drug as a benchmark. This suggests that chitosan from Archachatina marginata shell is a potential antibacterial agent for multiple applications. Graphical Abstract: (Figure presented.)