Combination of CuO nanoparticles and fluconazole: preparation, characterization, and antifungal activity against Candida albicans

• Published in: Journal of nanoparticle research : an interdisciplinary forum for nanoscale science and technology Vol. 17; no. 8; pp. 1 - 9
• Main Authors: Weitz, Iris S., Maoz, Michal, Panitz, Daniel, Eichler, Sigal, Segal, Ester
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01-08-2015; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Acetates; Candida; Candida albicans; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemistry and Materials Science; Dispersions; Emergence; Fungi; Gravimetric analysis; Inorganic Chemistry; Lasers; Materials Science; Nanoparticles; Nanotechnology; Optical Devices; Optics; Photonics; Physical Chemistry; Research Paper; Self assembly; Transmission electron microscopy; Nanoparticles; Health effects; Antifungal; Fluconazole; Functionalization; Copper oxide
• ISSN: 1388-0764; 1572-896X
• DOI: 10.1007/s11051-015-3149-4

Combination therapy becomes an important strategy in the management of invasive fungal infections and emergence of resistant fungi mutants. In this work, we examine the combination of copper oxide (CuO) nanoparticles (NPs) with fluconazole as potential treatment against the pathogenic fungi,
Candida
albicans
. CuO NPs (~7 nm in size) were synthesized with acetate ligands assembled on their surface, as shown by both thermal gravimetric analysis and FTIR spectroscopy. Unlike the commercial CuO (both bulk and 50 nm particles), that are poorly dispersed in water, the interaction with water allows the fine dispersion of the coated CuO NPs and their excellent colloidal stability. The addition of fluconazole to the aqueous CuO dispersion induced spontaneous self-assembly of the NPs into linear pearl-like chains network, shown by cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM). The antifungal activity of the CuO NPs and their combination with fluconazole (fluconazole–CuO NPs) was studied against
C. albicans.
The best MIC values were obtained at concentrations as low as 0.2 and 0.3 mg/mL, respectively. The results suggest that fluconazole–CuO NPs can provide a potential alternative treatment for
C. albicans
infections.