Antifungal activity of silver nanoparticles prepared using Aloe vera extract against Candida albicans

Mbarga Manga Joseph Arsène; Podoprigora Irina Viktorovna; Marukhlenko Alla; Morozova Mariya; Senyagin Alexander Nikolaevitch; Anyutoulou Kitio Linda Davares; Mumrova Evgenia Yurievna; Manar Rehailia; Ada Arsene Gabin; Kulikova A Alekseevna; Yashina Natalia Vyacheslavovna; Zhigunova Anna Vladimirovna; Orlova Svetlana; Das Milana

doi:10.14202/vetworld.2023.18-26

Antifungal activity of silver nanoparticles prepared using Aloe vera extract against Candida albicans

Vet World. 2023 Jan;16(1):18-26. doi: 10.14202/vetworld.2023.18-26. Epub 2023 Jan 6.

Authors

Mbarga Manga Joseph Arsène^{1

2}, Podoprigora Irina Viktorovna^{1

2}, Marukhlenko Alla³, Morozova Mariya³, Senyagin Alexander Nikolaevitch^{1

2}, Anyutoulou Kitio Linda Davares¹, Mumrova Evgenia Yurievna², Manar Rehailia⁴, Ada Arsene Gabin⁵, Kulikova A Alekseevna⁶, Yashina Natalia Vyacheslavovna¹, Zhigunova Anna Vladimirovna¹, Orlova Svetlana⁷, Das Milana¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Microbiology V.S. Kiktenko, Medical Institute, Peoples Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University), Moscow, Russia.
² Research Institute of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Peoples Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University), Moscow, Russia.
³ Department of Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Chemistry, Medical Institute, Peoples Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University), Moscow, Russia.
⁴ Department of Agrobiotechnology, Agrarian Institute, Peoples Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University), Moscow, Russia.
⁵ Department of Traumatology and Orthopedics, Medical Institute, Peoples Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University), Moscow, Russia.
⁶ Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Medical Institute, Peoples Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University), Moscow, Russia.
⁷ Department of Dietetics and Clinical Nutritiology, Medical Institute, Peoples Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University), Moscow, Russia.

Abstract

Background and aim: Resistance to antifungal agents is a serious public health concern that has not been investigated enough because most studies on antimicrobials are dedicated to antibacterial resistance. This study aimed to synthesize silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using Aloe vera extract, and to assess its antifungal activity against Candida albicans.

Materials and methods: Silver nanoparticles were synthesized by reducing Ag nitrate with aqueous A. vera extracts. Physicochemical properties of synthesized AgNPs were determined by ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry, photon cross-correlation spectroscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, X-ray diffraction analysis, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. An antifungal investigation was performed against four clinical C. albicans (C1, C2, C3, and C4) and a reference strain, C. albicans ATCC 10321.

Results: Cubic AgNPs with a mean X50 hydrodynamic diameter of 80.31 ± 10.03 nm were successfully synthesized. These AgNPs exhibited maximum absorbance at 429.83 nm, and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) confirmed the presence of Ag in AgNPs solution by a characteristic peak in the spectrum at the Ag Kα line of 22.105 keV. Infrared spectra for AgNPs and A. vera extract indicated that the compounds present in the extract play an essential role in the coating/capping of synthesized AgNPs. Different concentrations (200, 100, 50, 25, 10, and 5 μg/mL) of AgNPs were tested. The antifungal activity was shown to be dose-dependent with inhibition zones ranging from 10 mm to 22 mm against C. albicans ATCC 10231, 0 mm to 15 mm against C1, 0 mm to 16 mm against C2 and C3, and 0 mm to 14 mm for C4. Minimum inhibitory concentration ranged from 16 μg/mL to 32 μg/mL against clinical C. albicans (C1, C2, C3, and C4) and was 4 μg/mL against C. albicans ATCC 10231.

Conclusion: This study showed the ability of A. vera to serve as an efficient reducing agent for the biogenic synthesis of AgNPs with excellent antifungal activity.

Keywords: Aloe vera; antifungal; antimicrobials; green synthesis; silver nanoparticles.