Evaluation of Silver Nanoparticles for Antifungal Activity Against the Human Fungal Pathogen - Candida albicans

Candida albicans is an opportunistic human fungal pathogen causing candidiasis in immune-compromised patients.C. albicans is resistant to the existing drugs and exists on abiotic and biotic clinical surfaces, making it difficult to control.The biofilm formed by these fungi leads to multiple hospital-acquired fungal infections.Silver nanoparticles are reported for their antimicrobial activity and absence of resistance.Hence, the study aims at the application of silver nanoparticles against C. albicans and its biofilm formation.The synthesized AgNPs were ~ 37 nm, having a -37 mV charge.This process gives a yield of 880 µg/mL of AgNPs.These nanoparticles displayed antifungal activity against C. albicans with 2.97 µg MIC.Coating the coverslip with silver nanoparticles showed efficient inhibition of the biofilm formation by C. albicans with 97.51% inhibition by fluorescence microscopy.Impregnation of catheter surfaces with 1, 2, and 3 layers of silver nanoparticles showed 7.51, 15.23, and 43.02% reduced viability of Candida by MTT assay, respectively.The luminol assay could attribute the efficiency of AgNPs to their ROS generation.Moreover, the nanoparticles were non-cytotoxic.Hence, the silver nanoparticles exert antimicrobial activity, and their coating on catheter surfaces can show the antifungal effect on C. albicans biofilm formation.