Synergistic Antifungal Activity of Terbinafine in Combination with Light-Activated Gelatin–Silver Nanoparticles Against <i>Candida albicans</i> Strains
The development of resistance to traditional antifungal therapies has necessitated the exploration of alternative treatment strategies to effectively manage fungal infections, particularly those induced by <i>Candida albicans</i> (<i>C. albicans</i>). This research investigat...
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2025-01-01
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| author | Atif Ullah Fawad Ali Farman Ullah Sajid Khan Sadozai Saeed Ahmed Khan Sajid Hussain Abdulwahed Fahad Alrefaei Sajid Ali |
| author_facet | Atif Ullah Fawad Ali Farman Ullah Sajid Khan Sadozai Saeed Ahmed Khan Sajid Hussain Abdulwahed Fahad Alrefaei Sajid Ali |
| author_sort | Atif Ullah |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The development of resistance to traditional antifungal therapies has necessitated the exploration of alternative treatment strategies to effectively manage fungal infections, particularly those induced by <i>Candida albicans</i> (<i>C. albicans</i>). This research investigates the possibility of integrating silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) with Terbinafine to improve antifungal effectiveness. Terbinafine, while potent, faces challenges with specific fungal strains, highlighting the need for strategies to enhance its treatment efficacy. Silver nanoparticles were produced through a light-activated, gelatin-based method, resulting in particle sizes ranging from 56.8 nm to 66.2 nm, confirmed by dynamic light scattering and scanning electron microscopy. Stability studies indicated that AgNPs produced with 30 mg of silver nitrate (AgNO₃) exhibited the greatest stability over 60 days across different temperature conditions. The analysis through UV-visible spectrophotometry revealed a notable shift in the absorption spectra as AgNO₃ concentrations increased, which was associated with a strengthening of plasmon resonance. The effectiveness of the AgNPs and Terbinafine combination was assessed against three strains of <i>C. albicans</i> (ATCC 10231, ATCC 90028, and ATCC 18804). Terbinafine demonstrated strong antifungal properties with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) values ranging from 2–4 µg/mL, whereas AgNPs on their own displayed moderate effectiveness. The integrated formulation notably enhanced effectiveness, especially against strain ATCC 90028, revealing a synergistic effect (FIFi = 0.369). These results were complemented by the findings of the time-to-kill assay, where the same strain showed a 3.2 log₁₀ CFU/mL decrease in viable cell count. The process by which AgNPs boost activity entails the disruption of the fungal cell membrane and its internal components, probably as a result of silver ion release and the generation of free radicals. The results indicate that the combination of Terbinafine and AgNPs may act as a powerful alternative for addressing resistant fungal infections, presenting an encouraging direction for future antifungal treatments. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-be117041ea3a43ee845cb207dca3bfa2 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1999-4923 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Pharmaceutics |
| spelling | doaj-art-be117041ea3a43ee845cb207dca3bfa22025-01-24T13:46:03ZengMDPI AGPharmaceutics1999-49232025-01-0117112510.3390/pharmaceutics17010125Synergistic Antifungal Activity of Terbinafine in Combination with Light-Activated Gelatin–Silver Nanoparticles Against <i>Candida albicans</i> StrainsAtif Ullah0Fawad Ali1Farman Ullah2Sajid Khan Sadozai3Saeed Ahmed Khan4Sajid Hussain5Abdulwahed Fahad Alrefaei6Sajid Ali7Department of Pharmacy, Kohat University of Science and Technology, Kohat 26000, PakistanDepartment of Pharmacy, Kohat University of Science and Technology, Kohat 26000, PakistanDepartment of Pharmacy, Kohat University of Science and Technology, Kohat 26000, PakistanDepartment of Pharmacy, Kohat University of Science and Technology, Kohat 26000, PakistanDepartment of Pharmacy, Kohat University of Science and Technology, Kohat 26000, PakistanDepartment of Pharmacy, Kohat University of Science and Technology, Kohat 26000, PakistanDepartment of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 2455, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Horticulture and Life Science, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan 38541, Republic of KoreaThe development of resistance to traditional antifungal therapies has necessitated the exploration of alternative treatment strategies to effectively manage fungal infections, particularly those induced by <i>Candida albicans</i> (<i>C. albicans</i>). This research investigates the possibility of integrating silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) with Terbinafine to improve antifungal effectiveness. Terbinafine, while potent, faces challenges with specific fungal strains, highlighting the need for strategies to enhance its treatment efficacy. Silver nanoparticles were produced through a light-activated, gelatin-based method, resulting in particle sizes ranging from 56.8 nm to 66.2 nm, confirmed by dynamic light scattering and scanning electron microscopy. Stability studies indicated that AgNPs produced with 30 mg of silver nitrate (AgNO₃) exhibited the greatest stability over 60 days across different temperature conditions. The analysis through UV-visible spectrophotometry revealed a notable shift in the absorption spectra as AgNO₃ concentrations increased, which was associated with a strengthening of plasmon resonance. The effectiveness of the AgNPs and Terbinafine combination was assessed against three strains of <i>C. albicans</i> (ATCC 10231, ATCC 90028, and ATCC 18804). Terbinafine demonstrated strong antifungal properties with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) values ranging from 2–4 µg/mL, whereas AgNPs on their own displayed moderate effectiveness. The integrated formulation notably enhanced effectiveness, especially against strain ATCC 90028, revealing a synergistic effect (FIFi = 0.369). These results were complemented by the findings of the time-to-kill assay, where the same strain showed a 3.2 log₁₀ CFU/mL decrease in viable cell count. The process by which AgNPs boost activity entails the disruption of the fungal cell membrane and its internal components, probably as a result of silver ion release and the generation of free radicals. The results indicate that the combination of Terbinafine and AgNPs may act as a powerful alternative for addressing resistant fungal infections, presenting an encouraging direction for future antifungal treatments.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4923/17/1/125<i>Candida albicans</i>infectionTerbinafinesilver nanoparticlessynergismhuman health |
| spellingShingle | Atif Ullah Fawad Ali Farman Ullah Sajid Khan Sadozai Saeed Ahmed Khan Sajid Hussain Abdulwahed Fahad Alrefaei Sajid Ali Synergistic Antifungal Activity of Terbinafine in Combination with Light-Activated Gelatin–Silver Nanoparticles Against <i>Candida albicans</i> Strains Pharmaceutics <i>Candida albicans</i> infection Terbinafine silver nanoparticles synergism human health |
| title | Synergistic Antifungal Activity of Terbinafine in Combination with Light-Activated Gelatin–Silver Nanoparticles Against <i>Candida albicans</i> Strains |
| title_full | Synergistic Antifungal Activity of Terbinafine in Combination with Light-Activated Gelatin–Silver Nanoparticles Against <i>Candida albicans</i> Strains |
| title_fullStr | Synergistic Antifungal Activity of Terbinafine in Combination with Light-Activated Gelatin–Silver Nanoparticles Against <i>Candida albicans</i> Strains |
| title_full_unstemmed | Synergistic Antifungal Activity of Terbinafine in Combination with Light-Activated Gelatin–Silver Nanoparticles Against <i>Candida albicans</i> Strains |
| title_short | Synergistic Antifungal Activity of Terbinafine in Combination with Light-Activated Gelatin–Silver Nanoparticles Against <i>Candida albicans</i> Strains |
| title_sort | synergistic antifungal activity of terbinafine in combination with light activated gelatin silver nanoparticles against i candida albicans i strains |
| topic | <i>Candida albicans</i> infection Terbinafine silver nanoparticles synergism human health |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4923/17/1/125 |
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