title: Biosynthesis of antimicrobial silver nanoparticles by the endophytic fungus Aspergillus clavatus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To induce the biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using Aspergillus clavatus and evaluate their antimicrobial potential.
  
  
  METHODS
  Aspergillus clavatus (AzS-275), an endophytic fungus isolated from sterilized stem tissues of Azadirachta indica A. Juss., was challenged with 1 mM AgNO(3) solution. The characterization of the AgNPs was carried out by x-ray diffraction spectrometry, transmission-electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The synthesized AgNPs were found to be extracellular, polydispersed spherical or hexagonal particles ranging from 10 to 25 nm in size. Antimicrobial activity was performed using a disc-diffusion method against Candida albicans, Pseudomonas fluorescens and Escherichia coli. The results showed an average minimum inhibitory concentration of 5.83 microg ml(-1) and minimum fungicidal concentration of 9.7 microg ml(-1) against C. albicans.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  AgNPs can be mycosynthesized extracellularly using A. clavatus as the fungal system, which is highly advantageous over chemical synthesis not only because it can be synthesized on a large scale, but because of the ease of downstream processing and its biomedical application in antimicrobial activity.
authors.affiliation: Mycopathology & Microbial Technology Laboratory, Centre of Advanced Study in Botany, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, India.
authors.forename: Vijay C
authors.initials: VC
authors.lastname: Verma
authors.forename: Ravindra N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Kharwar
authors.forename: Alan C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Gange
mesh_terms: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001230:Aspergillus / Q000378:metabolism*; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000187:drug effects*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects*; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D011551:Pseudomonas fluorescens / Q000187:drug effects; D012834:Silver / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D012834:Silver