Antimycotic activity of zinc oxide decorated with silver nanoparticles against Trichophyton mentagrophytes

Antimycotic behavior of zinc oxide decorated with silver nanoparticles (ZnO-AgNPs) against Trichophyton mentagrophytes (T. mentagrophytes) was investigated on this work. Silver decoration size was modulated during Ag2O and Ag-0 synthesis in aqueous solution at pH 11,12 and 14, obtaining the smallest size at pH 12 and the largest at pH 14. In ex-situ tests, ZnO-AgNPs prevents successfully the growth of T. mentagrophytes, the percent mycelial inhibition (PMI) of formula F12 was 91.76% while formulas F12 and F14 was 100%, they also not present toxicity in cell viability, even the formula F12 promoted cell growth. Additionally, once T. mentagrophytes has grown it turns in a hydrophobic biofilm, whose water contact angle (WCA) was 127 +/- 3 degrees, showing that no aqueous solution will have antimycotic activity against T. mentagrophytes biofilm. It has been propose a ZnO-AgNPs suspension in a hydrophobic fluid (polydimethylsiloxane, PDMS) that allowed to the particles permeate and permitted a direct contact with the biofilm, which was eliminated successfully. These results suggest that ZnO-AgNPs in a hydrophobic fluid emerge as a viable alternative for fungal infections treatment. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.