Sustainable Lignin-Based Nano Hybrid Biomaterials with High-Performance Antifungal Activity

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Materials Science
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Airborne fungal spores, particularly from Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus niger, pose significant risks to environmental and food safety.
• Effective control strategies are needed to impede the dissemination of these fungal spores.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the efficacy of sustainable rice husk-extracted lignin, nanolignin, and lignin/n-lignin capped silver nanoparticles in inhibiting fungal growth.
• To assess the potential of these hybrid biomaterials as antifungal agents.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of nanolignin and lignin/n-lignin capped silver nanoparticles from rice husk-extracted lignin.
• Evaluation of antifungal activity against Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus niger.
• Determination of antifungal indexes at a specific concentration and time point.

Main Results:

• The hybrid biomaterials demonstrated significant inhibition of fungal growth.
• Antifungal indexes for Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus niger were 50.8% and 43.6% respectively at day 5 (2000 μg/100 μL).
• The mechanism involves altering cell membrane permeability and intracellular biosynthesis.

Conclusions:

• Rice husk-derived nanolignin and silver nanoparticle hybrids are effective in preventing the growth and generation of Aspergillus fungal spores.
• These findings have implications for mitigating fungal dissemination in agriculture and food product management.