Morphological changes associated with the antibacterial action of silver ions against bovine mastitis pathogens

Silver has potent antibacterial activity against a variety of bacteria while maintaining low toxicity in mammalian cells. This study was conducted to investigate the possible mechanism underlying the bactericidal effects of silver ions against bovine mastitis pathogens using electron microscopy. We used two different bacterial strains, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, which are primarily responsible for the majority of bovine mastitis cases. Interaction between the bacteria and silver ions (50 μg/mL, 2 hours) were studied using energy-filtering transmission electron microscopy (EFTEM). EFTEM images showed that E. coli and S. aureus cells treated with the silver ions had distorted plasma membranes, silver ions attached to the outer membranes, scattered electron-light material, and leakage of cell contents from disrupted cell membranes.