Purpose: To produce and characterize silver nanoparticles using
Candida albicans
and evaluate its
antibacterial properties.
Methods: Extracellular silver nanoparticles were biosynthesized using
C. albicans. The biomass
obtained from cultures of
C. albicans was used to synthesize silver nanoparticles in 1.5 mM silver nitrate
solution. Characterization of the biosynthesized nanoparticles was carried out using ultraviolet (UV)-
visible spectrometry and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The antibacterial properties of the
nanoparticles were determined by agar disc diffusion method against
Escherichia coli
and
Staphylococcus aureus
.
Results: Incubation of
C. albicans with silver nitrate solution produced silver nanoparticles after 2 – 4 h
as evidenced by change in the color of the reaction mixture. The formation of silver nanoparticles was
confirmed by UV-visible spectroscopy which showed absorption peak between 300 – 800 nm, being the
characteristic wavelength range of silver nanoparticles. SEM revealed the varying morphology of the
nanoparticles which had a size range of 20 – 80 nm. Furthermore, the nanoparticles showed significant
antimicrobial activity (p < 0.05).
Conclusion: The biosynthesized silver nanoparticles hold some promise for various industrial
applications, including drug delivery.
