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Highly Potential Antifungal Activity of Quantum-Sized Silver Nanoparticles Against Candida albicans

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Abstract

The antifungal activity of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)-stabilized quantum-sized silver nanoparticles (SNPs) against the growth of Candida albicans has been demonstrated in the present study. C. albicans is a known opportunistic human pathogen causing superficial and systemic infections. Research data carried out on C. albicans so far have shown unequivocally that it develops resistance against conventional antifungal drugs and that the infections it causes are difficult to cure with conventional antifungal agents. Hence, it is urgent to find newer materials for the treatment of infections caused by C. albicans that must be safe for the host. PVP-capped SNPs were synthesized, and its surface plasmon band was observed at 410 nm. The growth of C. albicans was markedly inhibited when the cells were incubated with SNP. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of SNP was determined as 70 ng/ml, and this value is relatively lower when compared with the conventionally used antifungal drugs such as amphotericin B (0.5 μg/ml), fluconazole (0.5 μg/ml), and ketoconazole (8 μg/ml). The viability of SNP-treated cells was checked by measuring the metabolic activity using XTT assay. Field emission scanning electron microscopic (FE-SEM) and transmission electron microscopic (TEM) analyses of the cells treated with SNP have lost the structural integrity to a greater extent.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank the National Centre for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, MHRD and DST-INSPIRE for financial support in the form of a research grant and junior research fellowships. Thanks is also due to Mr S. Prathap Augustine, technician, NCNSNT, for assisting us with FE-SEM and TEM imaging.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

    Malathi Selvaraj, Prabhu Pandurangan, Nishanthi Ramasami, Suresh Babu Rajendran, Sriman Narayanan Sangilimuthu & Palani Perumal

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  1. Malathi Selvaraj
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  2. Prabhu Pandurangan
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Correspondence to Palani Perumal.

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Selvaraj, M., Pandurangan, P., Ramasami, N. et al. Highly Potential Antifungal Activity of Quantum-Sized Silver Nanoparticles Against Candida albicans . Appl Biochem Biotechnol 173, 55–66 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12010-014-0782-9

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