title: Fungus-mediated synthesis of silver nanoparticles and their activity against pathogenic fungi in combination with fluconazole.
abstract: Silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) are known to have inhibitory and bactericidal effects. Resistance of fungal infections has emerged in recent years and is a major health problem. Here, we report the extracellular biosynthesis of Ag-NPs using a common fungus, Alternaria alternata. Also in this study, these nanoparticles were evaluated for their part in increasing the antifungal activity of fluconazole against Phoma glomerata, Phoma herbarum, Fusarium semitectum, Trichoderma sp., and Candida albicans. The antifungal activity of fluconazole was enhanced against the test fungi in the presence of Ag-NPs. Fluconazole in combination with Ag-NPs showed the maximum inhibition against C. albicans, which was confirmed from the increase in fold area of inhibition, followed by P. glomerata and Trichoderma sp., which showed less increase in the fold area, whereas no significant enhancement of activity was found against P. herbarum and F. semitectum.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  The antifungal activity of fluconazole was enhanced in presence of silver nanoparticles against the test fungi. Fluconazole in combination with Ag-NPs showed the maximum inhibition against C. albicans, followed by P. glomerata and Trichoderma sp. No significant enhancement of activity was found against P. herbarum and F. semitectum.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, Sant Gadge Baba Amravati University, Amravati, Maharashtra, India.
authors.forename: Monali
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gajbhiye
authors.forename: Jayendra
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kesharwani
authors.forename: Avinash
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ingle
authors.forename: Aniket
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gade
authors.forename: Mahendra
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rai
mesh_terms: D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005374:Filtration; D015725:Fluconazole / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005658:Fungi / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D011208:Powders; D012834:Silver / Q000737:chemistry*; D013056:Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D011208:Powders; D012834:Silver; D015725:Fluconazole