CTAB‐PLGA Curcumin Nanoparticles: Preparation, Biophysical Characterization and Their Enhanced Antifungal Activity against Phytopathogenic Fungus Pythium ultimum

Abstract

In the current study, we utilized application of nanotechnological advancements to synthesize positively charged curcumin nanoparticles (CurNPs). In CurNPs, curcumin (Cur) was encapsulated by a stabilizer, polymer poly(lactic‐co‐glycolic acid) (PLGA) and its surface charge was modified by cationic surfactant cethyltrimetylammonium bromide (CTAB). Characterization methods involving UV‐visible spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) were employed to confirm their synthesis. Then, we used CurNPs to investigate their potential as fungicidal agents in vitro and the underlying mechanisms, as compared to free Cur in the two fungal strains SR1 and BP1120 of a destructive plant pathogen Pythium ultimum var. ultimum. The fungicidal activity of CurNPs were studied by several methods which resulted in comparatively more pronounced antifungal activity in BP1120 than SR1. Broth dilution and well diffusion assay revealed minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC80) for CurNPs to be 52.57 μg/mL and 44.67 μg/mL and an increase in zone of inhibition (ZOI) by 5.4 and 6.3 fold of Cur at 15 μg/mL of CurNPs in SR1 and BP1120, respectively. Study of growth curve showed prolonged lag phase, delayed and short log phase, early and prolonged stationary phase and early decline phase after CurNPs exposure. Toxicity of CurNPs in SR1 and BP1120 strains of P. ultimum was attributed to the enhancement in intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and fall in mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) as revealed by spectrofluorometric assay. Taken together, these CurNPs were confirmed as a novel and very potent fungicidal agents against P. ultimum var. ultimum with a great promise of controlling and treating other microbial infections.

Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles from Alhagi graecorum Leaf Extract and Evaluation of Their Cytotoxicity and Antifungal Activity

“…Because they are linked to the clicking present in the cell membrane and lead to the release of synthesized silver nanoparticles at 0.02 mmol/ml. Journal of Nanomaterials silver ions that work to improve the permeability of the cell membrane, nanoparticles with a high surface area allow them to have the best contact and interaction with the microbial cell [28]. Another suggested mechanism that explain the impact of AgNPs in cell wall is the thickness and composition of cell wall and the peptidogly content can along with the charged of lipopolysaccharide [22].…”

Green synthesis and characterization of silver nanoparticles and its efficacy against Rhizoctonia solani, a fungus causing sheath blight disease in rice

“…Researchers like McDonnell and Russell have shown that nanoparticles interact with phosphorus or sulfur, making proteins containing, such as DNA, ideal binding sites for nanoparticles [ 77 ]. The size and surface area of silver nanoparticles enable them to connect with cell DNA, facilitating interaction with microbial cell membranes and the release of silver ions, which enhance membrane permeability [ 78 , 79 ]. Factors such as cell wall thickness, composition, peptidoglycan concentration, and lipopolysaccharide charge contribute to how AgNPs affect cell walls [ 80 ].…”

A comprehensive review of the therapeutic potential of curcumin nanoformulations

“…These studies have shown that Cur has a very high potential to treat infections caused by various viruses, including SARS‐CoV‐2, the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), dengue virus, herpes simplex virus (HSV), hepatitis virus, influenza A virus (IAV), Ebola virus, mosquito‐borne viruses (the Zika virus and Chikungunya virus), Japanese Encephalitis virus (JEV), Feline infectious peritonitis virus (FIPV), vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), flock house virus (FHV), Human enterovirus71 (EV71), human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), Epstein–Barr virus (EBV), bovine herpesvirus 1 (BHV 1), rift valley fever virus (RVFV), human norovirus (HuNoV), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), fish viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV), and so on (Lo et al, 2021; Mathew & Hsu, 2018; Rai et al, 2020; Shanmugarajan, Prabitha, Kumar, & Suresh, 2020). Also, antifungal (Khatua et al, 2020), antiparasitic (Gutiérrez‐Gutiérrez et al, 2020), antibacterial (Perera et al, 2020), antioxidant (Abu‐Taweel et al, 2020), anticancer (Sebastiammal et al, 2020), antiinflammation (Pontes‐Quero, Benito‐Garzón, Cano, Aguilar, & Vázquez‐Lasa, 2021), antidiabetic (Shamsi‐Goushki et al, 2020) activities, and so on are other reported biological activities of Cur (Afshar et al, 2021; Alotaibi, Tousson, El‐Masry, Altwaijry, & Saleh, 2021; Ban et al, 2020; Basit et al, 2020; He et al, 2021; Kang, Jung, Hyeon, Seon, & Lee, 2020; Zhang et al, 2020). Nevertheless, a comprehensive review of some literature on the clinical pharmacology of herbal demonstrated that a variety of natural and botanical ingredients have a higher risk of adverse reactions.…”