Antimycotic Activity Potentiation of <i>Allium sativum</i> Extract and Silver Nanoparticles against <i>Trichophyton rubrum</i>

Abstract

A natural and biocompatible extract of garlic as a support, decorated with silver nanoparticles, is a proposal to generate an effective antifungal agent against dermatophytes at low concentrations. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) with a diameter of 26±7 nm were synthesized and their antimycotic activity was examined against Trichophyton rubrum (T. rubrum), inhibiting 94 % of growth at a concentration of 0.08 mg ml^-1 . Allium sativum (garlic) extract was also obtained (AsExt), and its MIC was 0.04 mg ml^-1 . To increase the antifungal capacity of those systems, AsExt was decorated with AgNPs, obtaining AsExt-AgNPs. Using an AsExt concentration of 0.04 mg ml^-1 in independent experiments with concentrations from 0.01 to 0.08 mg ml^-1 of AgNPs, it was possible to inhibit T. rubrum at all AgNPs concentrations; it proves a synergistic effect between AgNPs and AsExt. Even if 1 % of the minimum inhibitory concentration of AsExt (0.0004 mg ml^-1 ) is used, it was possible to inhibit T. rubrum at all concentrations of AgNPs, demonstrating the successful antimycotic activity potentiation when combining AsExt and AgNPs.