Colloidal Silver Generator

Colloidal silver has an antimicrobial effect in vitro (i.e. outside of a living organism) and inactivates a number of bacteria and fungi in even small concentrations. [5] Effective agents are silver cations, which are always released in tiny amounts from elemental silver or from sparingly soluble silver compounds and inhibit the metabolism of microorganisms. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) is around 8 to 100 ppm silver ions, [6] gram-positive bacteria are considered to be somewhat more sensitive than gram-negative ones. [6] [7] However, the methods for determining the susceptibility of germs to silver have not yet been sufficiently standardized. The inhibition comes about through the reaction of silver cations with sulfur-containing functional groups of certain amino acids and proteins, which are thereby inactivated. This mechanism of action, also known as the oligodynamic effect, is not only inherent in silver, but is also observed in other metals (e.g. mercury, copper, tin, iron, lead, bismuth and gold). The ability to attack different points in the cell metabolism at the same time explains the broad spectrum of antimicrobial effects of silver and silver compounds. The surface area that releases metal ions is particularly large in colloids.

The strong antimicrobial effectiveness of nanosilver is associated with its ability to penetrate cell walls and membranes and to work inside the cell. In vitro, colloidal silver is also effective against viruses by binding nanosilver particles to their surface and suppressing the virus' binding to host cells.