Silver Nanoparticles Biosynthesized with Spruce Bark Extract—A Molecular Aggregate with Antifungal Activity against <i>Candida</i> Species
Anca Delia Mare,
Adrian Man,
Cristina Nicoleta Ciurea,
Felicia Toma,
Anca Cighir,
Mihai Mareș,
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, Mureș, 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, Mureș, 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, Mureș, 540139 Târgu Mureș, Romania
Felicia Toma
Department of Microbiology, “George Emil Palade” University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Sciences and Technology of Târgu Mureș, 38 Gheorghe Marinescu Street, Mureș, 540139 Târgu Mureș, Romania
Anca Cighir
Department of Microbiology, “George Emil Palade” University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Sciences and Technology of Târgu Mureș, 38 Gheorghe Marinescu Street, Mureș, 540139 Târgu Mureș, Romania
Mihai Mareș
Laboratory of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, Ion Ionescu de la Brad University of Life Science, 8 Aleea Mihail Sadoveanu, 700489 Iași, 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, Mureș, 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, Mureș, 540139 Târgu Mureș, Romania
Due to their high content of biomolecules, combined with silver’s well known antimicrobial potential, silver nanoparticles biosynthesized using spruce bark (AgNP SBEs) demonstrate antibacterial and antioxidant activity, making them a versatile option for developing new antimicrobial agents that might be used for medical treatment or as adjuvants for the classical agents. This study aims to analyze if silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) mediated by spruce bark extract (SBE) and silver salts (AgNP SBE Acetate, AgNP SBE Nitrate) presents antifungal activity against five different Candida spp., synergistic activity with fluconazole, and if they interact with some virulence factors of C. albicans. AgNP SBEs presented MICs (minimum inhibitory concentrations) for all the five tested Candida spp. AgNP SBEs inhibited the growth of C. parapsilosis, C. krusei, and C. guilliermondii, exerted synergistic activity with fluconazole for C. parapsilosis and C. guilliermondii, and inhibited biofilm production for C. albicans, C. auris, and C. guilliermondii. MICs of AgNP SBE Acetate significantly inhibited the production of germ tubes of C. albicans. The expression of C. albicans SAP2 gene was down-regulated by the short-time treatment with MICs of AgNP SBE Acetate, while ALS3 and HSP70 genes were up-regulated by the AgNPs MICs. These results emphasize the potential of using the AgNP SBEs as treatments/adjuvants options, not only against the redundant C. albicans but also for the non-albicans Candida species (which are not as frequently involved in human pathologies, but, sometimes, can be more aggressive).
