Fungal silver nanoparticles: synthesis, application and challenges

Abstract

AgNPs have great potential in the medical and food industries, due to their antimicrobial, anticancer, anti-HIV, and catalytic activities. However, the observed in vitro and in vivo toxicity poses considerable challenges in the synthesis and application of AgNPs.

Microbe‐Mediated Extracellular and Intracellular Mineralization: Environmental, Industrial, and Biotechnological Applications

“…[ 306 ] Fungi produce enzymes that act as both reducing and capping agents to produce stable and shape‐controlled AgNPs. [ 307 ]…”

Biogenic Metal Nanoparticles: A New Approach to Detect Life on Mars?

“…The antimicrobial properties of silver have been known for a very long time and used extensively throughout human history. However, the application of these properties has been massively boosted since it started being engineered into MNPs [3,11].…”

“…The popularity of silver NPs (AgNPs) is due to their localized surface Plasmon resonance, good conductivity, chemical stability, catalytic and broad-spectrum anti-microbial activities, as well as cytotoxic effect on cancer cells [11]. They have been employed mostly for their antimicrobial capacity in the medical, food packaging and textile (by incorporation in hybrid materials), and agriculture industries, but also for catalytic, anticancer and antioxidant applications, antiviral action and anti-inflammatory activity (e.g., for HIV), in cosmetics, electronics, and energy [5,7,[11][12][13]. Besides their activity against microorganisms, they also prevent microbial growth and inhibit the formation of biofilms, making them very useful as a component of many materials and tools for the food industry, biomedical applications, engineering sciences, and agriculture [7].…”

“…Biological systems (e.g., plants and microorganisms) display a vast variety of biomolecules with reductive properties. Briefly, a liquid solution containing reducing and stabilizing agents is used; atoms are formed from the reduction of a metal ion (e.g., Ag + ), which agglomerate into oligomeric clusters and eventually form MNPs (e.g., AgNPs) [11]. Note that the full mechanism of the reactions responsible for the biosynthesis processes are not yet fully understood, and many details remain unclear [6].…”

“…[5, 11,13] Yeasts (e.g., Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, Magnusiomyces ingens, Pichia jadinii, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, and Yarrowia lipolytica). Easy to use and manipulate in laboratories and good excretors of secondary metabolites that reduce and stabilize metal ions.…”