One of the most commonly used type of antimicrobial
function of silver nanoparticles is composed of silver ions
integrated into inert materials such as zeolite [126], silicate
[127], and nanoclay [128]. Silver zeolite (Ag-zeolite), which
is produced by substituting the Na+ ion in the mineral
zeolite with Ag+ ion, is one of the most widely used antimicrobial
agents since it has a broad antimicrobial spectrum
of microorganisms such as bacteria, yeast, and mycelium
fungi. However, Ag-zeolite does not have any antimicrobial
activity against spores of heat-resistant bacteria,
but rather only against vegetative cells [126]. Ag-zeolite
incorporated chitosan film showed strong antimicrobial
activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative
bacteria [65]. Silver-silicate nanocomposite was produced
using a flame spray pyrolysis process and incorporated
into polystyrene, which showed significant antibacterial
activity against both Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus
aureus [127]. Silver-montmorillonite (Ag-MMT) nanoparticles
obtained by exchanging the Na+ of natural MMT with
silver ions from silver nitrate solution exhibited profound
antimicrobial activity against Pseudomonas spp. when they
were embedded in agar film [129].
A green synthetic approach for preparing antimicrobial
silver nanoparticles have been suggested by using
carbohydrates such as sucrose, soluble and waxy corn
starch. The carbohydrates act as both reducing and stabilizing
agents and also as a template for carrying silver
nanoparticles with excellent antibacterial activity. Chitosan
nanoparticles loaded with various nanoparticles
such as Ag+, Cu2+, Zn2+, and Mn2+ showed a significantly increased antimicrobial activity against E. coli, Salmonella
choleraesuis, and S. aureus.