In Vitro Antifungal Activity of Silver Nanoparticles Biosynthesized with Beech Bark Extract
Anca Delia Mare,
Cristina Nicoleta Ciurea,
Adrian Man,
Mihai Mareș,
Felicia Toma,
Lavinia Berța,
Corneliu Tanase
Affiliations
Anca Delia Mare
Department of Microbiology, “George Emil Palade” University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Sciences and Technology of Târgu Mureș, 38 Gheorghe Marinescu Street, 540139 Târgu Mureș, Romania
Cristina Nicoleta Ciurea
Department of Microbiology, “George Emil Palade” University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Sciences and Technology of Târgu Mureș, 38 Gheorghe Marinescu Street, 540139 Târgu Mureș, Romania
Adrian Man
Department of Microbiology, “George Emil Palade” University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Sciences and Technology of Târgu Mureș, 38 Gheorghe Marinescu Street, 540139 Târgu Mureș, Romania
Mihai Mareș
Laboratory of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, Ion Ionescu de la Brad University of Life Sciences, 8 Aleea Mihail Sadoveanu, 700489 Iași, Romania
Felicia Toma
Department of Microbiology, “George Emil Palade” University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Sciences and Technology of Târgu Mureș, 38 Gheorghe Marinescu Street, 540139 Târgu Mureș, Romania
Lavinia Berța
Department of General and Inorganic Chemistry, “George Emil Palade” University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Sciences and Technology of Târgu Mureș, 38 Gheorghe Marinescu Street, 540139 Târgu Mureș, Romania
Corneliu Tanase
Department of Pharmaceutical Botany, “George Emil Palade” University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Sciences and Technology of Târgu Mureș, 38 Gheorghe Marinescu Street, 540139 Târgu Mureș, Romania
Biosynthesis is a green method for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). This study aimed to assess the antifungal activity of two silver nanoparticle solutions, synthesized using beech bark extract (BBE) and acetate and nitrate silver salts (AgNP Acetate BBE and AgNP Nitrate BBE), their influence on biofilm production, their potential synergistic effects with fluconazole, on different Candida spp., and their influence on virulence factors of C. albicans (germ tube production, gene expression for ALS3, SAP2, HSP70). Both the AgNP BBEs presented different minimum inhibitory concentrations for all the studied Candida spp., but biofilm production was inhibited only for C. albicans and C. guilliermondii. The growth rates of all the studied Candida spp. were inhibited in the presence of both AgNP BBEs, except for C. auris. Synergistic activity was observed for C. parapsilosis and C. guilliermondii, for different combinations of fluconazole with both the AgNP BBEs. The germ tube production of C. albicans was slightly inhibited by the AgNP BBEs. Only AgNP Acetate BBE was able to down-regulate the expression of SAP2. Overall, we can conclude that, even if more studies are necessary, AgNPs synthesized with beech bark extract might be an interesting alternative to classic antifungal treatments.
