Eco-Friendly Synthesis of Multishaped Crystalline Silver Nanoparticles Using Hill Garlic Extract and Their Potential Application as an Antifungal Agent

Abstract

Antimicrobial resistance is a global health challenge, and the large loads of biocides dumped into the environment augment the spread of antifungal resistance and environmental contamination. Therefore, eco-friendly antifungal agents must be developed to combat antibiotic resistance and to reduce environmental contamination. In the present investigation, Allium sativum (Hill garlic-Malai Poondu) extract was used as a green resource to achieve silver nanoparticle (AgNP) production. AgNPs were characterized by various spectral and microscopic analyses. In vitro free radical scavenging assays were instigated to determine the antioxidant capacity of the AgNPs, and the antifungal activity was assessed using Agar well-diffusion assay again pathogenic fungal strains. The mean particle size of the AgNPs was calculated as 35.1 nm with face-centered cubic (FCC) structure. AgNPs exhibited free radical scavenging activity against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrzyl (DPPH), 2,2-azino-bis (3-etilbenzotiazolin)-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS), and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) radicals. Scavenging of DPPH radicals by AgNPs was impressive, and an IC50 value of $6.3\pm 0.4$  μg/ml was obtained in this assay. Among the tested Candida strains, the order of the least susceptibility on exposure to AgNPs synthesized using Hill garlic extract was as follows: $C.glabrata\le C.tropicalis\le C.parapsilosis\le C.krusei\le C.albicans$ . The study highlights the synthesis of environment-friendly nanoparticles using Hill garlic extract with enhanced antifungal properties.