Synergistic activity of gold nanoparticles with Amphotericin B on persister cells of Candida tropicalis biofilms

M.A. DA SILVA, K.F. CRESPO ANDRADA, M. MALDONADO TORALES, I. MANRRIQUE HUGHES, P.L. PÁEZ J.C. GARCÍA-MARTÍNEZ, M.G. PARAJE

Journal of Nanobiotechnology

Springer Nature

Año: 2023

1477-3155

Aim: The antifungal activity was studied on sessile and persister cells (PCs) of Candida tropicalis biofilms of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) stabilized with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB-AuNPs) and those conjugated with cysteine, in combination with Amphotericin B (AmB). Materials/methods: The PC model was used and synergistic activity was tested by the checkerboard assay. Biofilms were studied by crystal violet and scanning electron microscopy. Results/Conclusions: After the combination of both AuNPs and AmB the biofilm biomass was reduced, with significant differences in architecture being observed with a reduced biofilm matrix. In addition, the CTAB-AuNPs-AmB combination significantly reduced PCs. Understanding how these AuNPs aid in the fight against biofilms and the development of new approaches to eradicate PCs has relevance for chronic infection treatment.