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Quantifying the Antifungal Activity of Peptides Against Candida albicans
Published on: January 13, 2023
Antifungal activity of silver nanoparticles against Candida spp
Ales Panácek1, Milan Kolár, Renata Vecerová
1Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Palacký University, Olomouc 771 46, Czech Republic.
Abstract:
The antifungal activity of the silver nanoparticles (NPs) prepared by the modified Tollens process was evaluated for pathogenic Candida spp. by means of the determination of the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC), and the time-dependency of yeasts growth inhibition. Simultaneously the cytotoxicity of the silver NPs to human fibroblasts was determined. The silver NPs exhibited inhibitory effect against the tested yeasts at the concentration as low as 0.21 mg/L of Ag. The inhibitory effect of silver NPs was enhanced through their stabilization and the lowest MIC equal to 0.05 mg/L was determined for silver NPs stabilized by sodium dodecyl sulfate against Candida albicans II. The obtained MICs of the silver NPs and especially of the stabilized silver NPs were comparable and in some cases even better than MICs of the conventional antifungal agents determined by E-test. The silver NPs effectively inhibited the growth of the tested yeasts at the concentrations below their cytotoxic limit against the tested human fibroblasts determined at a concentration equal to 30 mg/L of Ag. In contrast, ionic silver inhibited the growth of the tested yeasts at the concentrations comparable to the cytotoxic level (approx. 1mg/L) of ionic silver against the tested human fibroblasts.
Insights
Silver nanoparticles (NPs) show potent antifungal activity against pathogenic Candida species, with stabilized NPs demonstrating superior efficacy at low concentrations. These silver NPs are effective at concentrations below their cytotoxic levels for human fibroblasts.
Area of Science:
- Nanotechnology
- Mycology
- Biomedical Science
Background:
- Pathogenic Candida species pose significant threats, necessitating novel antifungal strategies.
- Conventional antifungal agents face challenges like resistance and toxicity.
- Silver nanoparticles (NPs) have emerged as promising antimicrobial agents.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the antifungal activity of silver NPs against pathogenic Candida species.
- To determine the cytotoxicity of silver NPs to human fibroblasts.
- To compare the efficacy of silver NPs with conventional antifungal agents.
Main Methods:
- Modified Tollens process for silver NP synthesis.
- Determination of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC).
- Time-dependency studies of yeast growth inhibition.
- Cytotoxicity assays using human fibroblasts.
Main Results:
- Silver NPs inhibited Candida spp. at concentrations as low as 0.21 mg/L.
- Stabilized silver NPs, particularly those with sodium dodecyl sulfate, showed enhanced activity (MIC = 0.05 mg/L) against Candida albicans II.
- Silver NPs demonstrated efficacy at concentrations significantly below their cytotoxic limit (30 mg/L) for human fibroblasts.
- Ionic silver exhibited antifungal activity at concentrations near its cytotoxic level (approx. 1 mg/L).
Conclusions:
- Silver nanoparticles exhibit potent and safe antifungal properties against pathogenic yeasts.
- Stabilization enhances the antifungal efficacy of silver NPs, offering a promising alternative to conventional treatments.
- Silver NPs present a favorable therapeutic window, distinguishing them from ionic silver in terms of safety and efficacy.
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