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. 2021 Mar 18;7(3):223.
doi: 10.3390/jof7030223.

Differential Antimycotic and Antioxidant Potentials of Chemically Synthesized Zinc-Based Nanoparticles Derived from Different Reducing/Complexing Agents against Pathogenic Fungi of Maize Crop

Anu Kalia  1 , Jashanpreet Kaur  2 , Manisha Tondey  2 , Pooja Manchanda  3 , Pulkit Bindra  4 , Mousa A Alghuthaymi  5 , Ashwag Shami  6 , Kamel A Abd-Elsalam  7
Affiliations

Differential Antimycotic and Antioxidant Potentials of Chemically Synthesized Zinc-Based Nanoparticles Derived from Different Reducing/Complexing Agents against Pathogenic Fungi of Maize Crop

Anu Kalia et al. J Fungi (Basel). .

Abstract

The present study aimed for the synthesis, characterization, and comparative evaluation of anti-oxidant and anti-fungal potentials of zinc-based nanoparticles (ZnNPs) by using different reducing or organic complexing-capping agents. The synthesized ZnNPs exhibited quasi-spherical to hexagonal shapes with average particle sizes ranging from 8 to 210 nm. The UV-Vis spectroscopy of the prepared ZnNPs showed variation in the appearance of characteristic absorption peak(s) for the various reducing/complexing agents i.e., 210 (NaOH and NaBH4), 220 (albumin, and thiourea), 260 and 330 (starch), and 351 nm (cellulose) for wavelengths spanning over 190-800 nm. The FT-IR spectroscopy of the synthesized ZnNPs depicted the functional chemical group diversity. On comparing the antioxidant potential of these ZnNPs, NaOH as reducing agent, (NaOH (RA)) derived ZnNPs presented significantly higher DPPH radical scavenging potential compared to other ZnNPs. The anti-mycotic potential of the ZnNPs as performed through an agar well diffusion assay exhibited variability in the extent of inhibition of the fungal mycelia with maximum inhibition at the highest concentration (40 mg L-1). The NaOH (RA)-derived ZnNPs showcased maximum mycelial inhibition compared to other ZnNPs. Further, incubation of the total genomic DNA with the most effective NaOH (RA)-derived ZnNPs led to intercalation or disintegration of the DNA of all the three fungal pathogens of maize with maximum DNA degrading effect on Macrophomina phaseolina genomic DNA. This study thus identified that differences in size and surface functionalization with the protein (albumin)/polysaccharides (starch, cellulose) diminishes the anti-oxidant and anti-mycotic potential of the generated ZnNPs. However, the NaOH emerged as the best reducing agent for the generation of uniform nano-scale ZnNPs which possessed comparably greater anti-oxidant and antimycotic activities against the three test maize pathogenic fungal cultures.

Keywords: metal oxides; nano-fungicides; pathogenic fungi; protein profiling; radical scavenging activity.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Schematic representation of steps for the synthesis of zinc nanomaterials using different reducing and complexing/capping agents.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Variable UV-Vis absorbance spectra of the synthesized ZnO nanoparticles. RA: reducing agent, CA: capping/complexing agent.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Transmission electron micrographs depicting the variation in the ZnO nanoparticle dimensions for the reducing (RA) and capping/complexing (CA) agents. (a) Sodium hydroxide (RA), (b) Thiourea (RA), (c) Starch (RA), (d) Bovine serum albumin (CA), (e) Starch (CA), and (f) Cellulose (CA).
Figure 4
Figure 4
X-ray diffraction spectroscopy of the synthesized ZnNPs depicting the formation of wurtzite hexagonal crystal structure zincite (ZnO) on the use of various reducing and capping/complexing agents i.e., Sodium hydroxide (RA), Thiourea (RA), Starch (RA), Bovine serum albumin (CA), Starch (CA), and Cellulose (CA).
Figure 5
Figure 5
FT-IR cumulative spectra of the prepared ZnNPs for the mid-IR region (2000 to 650 cm−1 wavenumbers) indicating variability in the occurrence of chemical functional groups.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Comparative antioxidant potential of ZnNPs as determined through scavenging activity (%) of DPPH radicals. Different letters denote a significant difference (p ≤ 0.05) among six different types of ZnNPs.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Effect of different ZnNPs and zinc salts on hyphal growth of three maize pathogenic cultures, Curvularia lunata, Fusarium oxysporum, and Macrophomina phaseolina. (a) Zinc acetate, (b) Zinc chloride, (c) Zinc sulphate, (d) Sodium hydroxide (RA) ZnNPs, (e) Thiourea (RA) ZnNPs, (f) Starch (RA) ZnNPs, (g) Bovine serum albumin (CA) ZnNPs, (h) Starch (CA) ZnNPs, and (i) Cellulose (CA) ZnNPs. The figures from 0 to 4 indicate different concentrations of the zinc salts and ZnNPs. 0 = distill water, 1 = 5 mg L−1, 2 = 10 mg L−1, 3 = 20 mg L−1, 4 = 40 mg L−1.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Optical micrographs of the three test fungal cultures depicting cytological events such as hyphal fragmentation, clearing of the cell cytoplasm, hyphal thinning, and dissolution of the fungal cell wall on incubation with ZnO nanoparticles derived from various reducing and capping/complexing agents. (a) Control, (b) Sodium hydroxide (RA), (c) Thiourea (RA), (d) Starch (RA), (e) Bovine serum albumin (CA), (f) Starch (CA), and (g) Cellulose (CA). Magnification-400×. The solid arrow indicates the thickening of the hyphae, dotted arrow indicates the clearing of cell cytoplasm.
Figure 9
Figure 9
Fragmentation and degradation of the fungal genomic DNA on incubation with NaOH (RA)-derived ZnNPs. Lane L = Marker ladder, Lane 1 = gDNA of Fusarium oxysporum (FO), Lane 2 = gDNA of Curvularia lunata (CL), Lane 3 = gDNA of Macrophomina phaseolina (MP), Lane 4 = FO gDNA incubated with ZnNPs for 2 h, Lane 5 = CL gDNA incubated with ZnNPs for 2 h, Lane 6 = MP gDNA incubated with ZnNPs for 2 h, Lane 7 = FO gDNA incubated with ZnNPs for 24 h, Lane 8 = CL gDNA incubated with ZnNPs for 24 h, Lane 9 = MP gDNA incubated with ZnNPs for 24 h.
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