Increased resistance of fungal pathogens to common antimicrobial agents is known as one of the most important human problems. Due to the limited variety of antifungal drugs available, the identification and use of new antifungal drugs are essential. This study aimed to determine the optimal conditions for synthesizing a novel nanocomposite of xanthan gum/ZnO/TiO2with the highest antifungal activity against Candida albicans (C. albicans). For this purpose, nine experiments were designed using the Taguchi method. In the designed experiments, three factors of xanthan gum, ZnO, and TiO2nanoparticles have been investigated at three different levels, and the best ratio with the highest antifungal activity was determined. The results showed that in the presence of the synthesized nanocomposite in experiment 3 (xanthan gum 0.01 M, ZnO 0.09 M, and TiO2 0.09 M), the inhibition of fungal growth reached 92.51%. The properties of the synthesized nanocomposite and its components were investigated using different characterization methods, which confirmed the formation of nanocomposites with desirable properties. The antifungal activity results showed that the synthesized nanocomposite as an antifungal agent has an effective performance and can be used well in various fields.
Nowadays, resistance to antibiotics has developed in bacterial microorganisms related to dental and oral infections, leading to major problems in public health. Using nanoparticles, particularly silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) may offer a new strategy for the prevention and treatment of dental infections. In the current study, AgNPs were synthesized using Halomonas elongata at different conditions according to nine experiments designed by the Taguchi method, and their antibacterial effects were investigated on a Streptococcus mutans biofilm. The effects of three factors, including silver nitrate (AgNO3) concentration, incubation time, and temperature at three different levels, were studied to optimize the synthesis of AgNPs under the designed experiments. Then, the antibacterial effects of these NPs on the S. mutans biofilm were examined by the colony-forming unit (CFU) method. According to the results, green-synthesized AgNPs under optimal conditions properly inhibit the formation and growth of the S. mutans biofilm. Furthermore, different analyses were applied to investigate the formation, structural, and morphological properties of the green-synthesized AgNPs under optimum conditions. The obtained results of this study indicated that the green-synthesized AgNPs could be a promising antimicrobial agent in the dental and medicinal industry.
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