Anti-Biofilm Action of Biological Silver Nanoparticles Produced by Aspergillus tubingensis and Antimicrobial Activity of Fabrics Carrying it

Biological silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized using the marine endophytic fungus Aspergillus tubingensis and inhibited Bacillus subtilis biofilm formation at low concentrations. Cotton and polyester fabrics impregnated with AgNPs were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and the concentration of AgNPs in both fabrics was determined using inductively-coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). The fabrics carrying the AgNPs inhibited the Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli growth by 100%. Both fabrics impregnated one time with AgNPs inhibited yeasts' clinical species' growth, Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, and Candida parapsilosis, from 80.1% to approximately 98.0%. Besides the anti-biofilm effect, the AgNPs impregnation process on cotton and polyester fabrics was highly efficient, and both fabrics presented antimicrobial effects against clinically relevant bacteria and yeast species. The results evidence that functionalized textiles containing these biological AgNPs can play an essential role in combating pathogenic microorganisms. Thereby offering an alternative to design effective solutions, mainly for hospital garments and biomedical devices, to avoid microorganisms transmissions and hospital-acquired nosocomial infections.