RETRACTED: Synthesis and characterization of chitosan and grape polyphenols stabilized palladium nanoparticles and their antibacterial activity (Retracted article. See vol. 111, pg. 769, 2013)

Based on enhanced effectiveness, the new age drugs are nanoparticles of polymers, metals or ceramics, which can combat conditions like cancer and fight human pathogens like bacteria. In this present study we aimed for a green approach to synthesize palladium nanoparticles by reducing palladium chloride salts with nontoxic and biodegradable polymeric chitosan and grape polyphenols and confirmed by FTIR, TEM, SEM and UV-spectroscopy. We also extended our study to show the efficacy of the grape and chitosan impregnated palladium nanoparticles as an antibacterial agent against Escherichia coli. Antibacterial assays were carried out with a representative gram-negative bacterium. E. coli and a gram-positive bacterium, Staphylococcus aureus. Commendable efforts have been made to explore this property using electron microscopy, which has revealed size dependent interaction of palladium nanoparticles conjugates with bacteria by disrupting cell membranes and the leakage of cytoplasm. Therefore, the observed results imply that grape and chitosan-based nano palladium conjugates prepared in our present system are promising candidates for a wide range of biomedical and general applications. (C) 2011 Elsevier BM. All rights reserved.