Antifungal Effects of Silver Nanoparticle Alone and With Combination of Antifungal Drug on Dermatophyte Pathogen Trichophyton Rubrum
In this clinical study conducted at the Department of Biology, Islamic Azad University, and published by the 2011 International Conference on Bioscience, Biochemistry and Bioinformatics, researchers examined the effects of silver nanoparticles – alone, and in combination with two well-known anti-fungal drugs – on the dermatophyte fungi Trichophyton rubrum.
The study authors found that “results of antifungal activity reveal that the growth of T. rubrum was inhibited at concentration of 10 µg/ml Ag-Nps alone.” The study authors also found that the antifungal activity of the drugs Flocunazole and Geriseofulvin were “increased in the presence of Ag-NP’s.” In short, silver nanoparticles demonstrated significant antifungal activity on their own, and when used in combination with antifungal drugs, they increased the antifungal efficacy of the drugs.