Abstract
The design route, synthesis, and characterization of spherical copper nanoparticles with antifungal potential are reported in the present work. Copper nanoparticles were synthesized by a novel, inexpensive, and eco-friendly chemical reduction method using ascorbic acid as a reductant and stabilizer under reflux conditions. The characterization results showed the formation of homogeneous, dispersed, and stable spherical ascorbic acid-capped copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) with a diameter of 250 nm. The CuNPs exhibited sustained antifungal activity againstCandida albicans(C. albicans) after 24 h and even 48 h of incubation. Using enhanced dark-field microscopy, we presented the in situ interaction between CuNPs andC. albicans. Here, part of the interaction of CuNPs among theC. albicans, studied without the use of any chemical and/or physical fixing method, is discussed. The results indicate that part of the antifungal mechanism involves a promoted adhesion of CuNPs onto the cell wall and a massive accumulation of CuNPs into the fungal cells, concluding in cellular leakage. The cytotoxicity (viability) evaluations indicated that our CuNPs were more biocompatible after comparison to the Cu precursor and triclosan (a commercial antifungal drug). The synthesized CuNPs will open up a new road for their possible use as a potent antimicrobial agent for clinical and industrial applications.
Highlights
Localized, systemic, and chronic infection diseases are mainly caused by critical propagation of antibiotic/antifungal resistant strains [1], which can result in the formation of a viable biofilm and promote by this way higher resistance to conventional chemotherapeutic treatments [2]
Information suggested an appropriate distribution of the CuNPs and that the thermodynamic conditions of our synthesis method were favorable for the proper growth of the NPs, as advised by others [28, 29]
It is important to take into consideration that our synthesis process used ascorbic acid as the reducer and stabilizer agent, which allowed the formation of stable CuNPs with a consistent spherical shape [28, 30]
Summary
Systemic, and chronic infection diseases are mainly caused by critical propagation of antibiotic/antifungal resistant strains [1], which can result in the formation of a viable biofilm and promote by this way higher resistance to conventional chemotherapeutic treatments [2]. C. albicans is limited to the oral cavity and is frequently able to colonize the skin, gastrointestinal and urogenital tracts, and HIV-infected and immunosuppressed patients and in the worst case causes invasive candidiasis (candidemia, mortality rate over 60%) [6,7,8]. This important information regards the need for more effective antimicrobial agents with especial antifungal activity
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