I think this excerpt from http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/pdf2004/fpl_2004_dorau001.pdf pretty much answers the question of ionic silver vs silver particles:
"The mechanisms of the antimicrobial action of silver can be described as follows (17): 1. Silver ions form insoluble compounds in the cell wall with (and thereby inactivate) sulfhydryl groups, which are essential components of enzymes responsible for transmembranous energy metabolism and electrolyte transport. The result is a loss of fluids and electrolytes from the organisms, which dry out and die. 2. Silver ions block the respiratory chain of bacteria in the cytochrome oxidase and NADH-succinate- dehydroginase region. 3. Silver ions enter the cell and bind to bacterial DNA and bacterial spores. Silver can complex with electron donor groups that contain oxygen or nitrogen. Reversible binding of bases occurs without aggregation or disruption of the double helix structure of the cell nucleus. Intercalation of silver can lead to increased stability of the double helix. 4. Silver ions in low concentrations may penetrate a bacterial cell and cause structural damage to the cell envelope. Upon entering the cell, the molecule may dissociate, after which the silver binds to the DNA. 5. Metal ions, particularly silver, can also bond to phosphate groups, forming a positive dipole on the phosphate, followed by formation of a cyclic phosphate and cleavage of these molecules at the phosphodiester bond. 6. Silver DNA complexes occur at bases, which cause denaturation by displacing hydrogen bonds between adjacent nitrogens of purines and pyrimidines, thereby preventing replication. Note that all these mechanisms relate to solvated silver ions, Ag+. The antibacterial properties of any metal come from its ions, which are generated from the neutral metal (1 5). In the presence of oxygen, metallic silver can be bactericidal because silver (I) oxide is soluble enough to release free silver ions (18). When dealing with metallic silver, though, it is important to note that antimicrobial activity depends on the extent of the active silver surface." The exception may be that silver particles less than 10nm in size may inactivate some viruses by attaching directly to the viruses glycoprotein knobs. The occupation of the glycoprotein knobs by silver particles prevents the virus from being able to attach itself to a host cell and renders it harmless. See: http://www.jnanobiotechnology.com/content/3/1/6 It should be noted that ionic silver solutions also contain silver particles and therefore are effective against viruses as well bacteria and fungus. - Steve N From: Kathy [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Friday, March 26, 2010 9:03 AM To: [email protected] Subject: CS>Can someone answer this question? http://www.thetreeofliberty.com/vb/showthread.php?t=97212 -- The Silver List is a moderated forum for discussing Colloidal Silver. Rules and Instructions: http://www.silverlist.org Unsubscribe: <mailto:[email protected]?subject=unsubscribe> Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html Off-Topic discussions: <mailto:[email protected]> List Owner: Mike Devour <mailto:[email protected]>
