Anticandidal activity of nanocomposite based on nanochitosan, nanostarch and mycosynthesized copper oxide nanoparticles against multidrug-resistant Candida

Recently, antimicrobial resistance has increased globally particularly Candida infections. Most of antifungal drugs used for treating candidiasis became resistant to most of Candida species. In the current study, a nano-composite based on mycosynthesized copper oxide nanoparticles (CuONPs), nanostarch, nanochitosan was prepared. Results illustrated that twenty-four Candida isolates were isolated from clinical samples. Furthermore, three Candida strains were selected as the most resistant among others toward commercial antifungal drugs; these selected strains were identified genetically as C. glabrata MTMA 19, C. glabrata MTMA 21 and C. tropicalis MTMA 24. Characterization of the prepared nanocomposite was carried out using physiochemical analysis included Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (Uv-Vis), Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy-Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). Moreover, the nanocomposite exhibited promising anticandidal activity against C. glabrata MTMA 19, C. glabrata MTMA 21 and C. tropicalis MTMA 24, where the inhibition zones were 15.3, 27 and 28 mm, respectively. Ultrastructure changes observed in nanocomposite-treated C. tropicalis demonstrated disruption of the cell wall which led to cell death. In conclusion, our results confirmed that the novel biosynthesized nano-composite based on mycosynthesized CuONPs, nanostarch and nanochitosan is a promising anticandidal agent to fight multidrug-resistant Candida.

Automated summary

Recently, the increase in antimicrobial resistance, especially Candida infections, has become a global concern. This study focused on developing a novel nano-composite using mycosynthesized copper oxide nanoparticles (CuONPs), nanostarch, and nanochitosan. The researchers isolated 24 Candida isolates from clinical samples and identified three strains, C. glabrata MTMA 19, C. glabrata MTMA 21, and C. tropicalis MTMA 24, as the most resistant to commercial antifungal drugs. The nanocomposite exhibited significant anticandidal activity against these resistant strains by disrupting the cell wall and causing cell death. The results suggest that the biosynthesized nano-composite holds promise as an effective agent against multidrug-resistant Candida.