Antifungal activity of silver/silicon dioxide nanocomposite on the response of faba bean plants (Vicia faba L.) infected by Botrytis cinerea

• Published in: Bioresources and bioprocessing 2022-09, Vol.9 (1), p.102-102, Article 102
• Main Authors: Baka, Zakaria A., El-Zahed, Mohamed M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antifungal activity; Beans; Biochemical Engineering; Botrytis cinerea; Broad beans; Cell membranes; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Chloroplasts; Cytology; Diffraction patterns; E coli; Environmental Engineering/Biotechnology; Fourier transforms; Fungicides; Industrial and Production Engineering; Infrared analysis; Nanocomposite; Nanocomposites; Nanomaterials; Nanoparticles; Nanotechnology; Peroxidase; Phenolic compounds; Polyphenol oxidase; Silica; Silicon dioxide; Silver; Starch grains; Transmission electron microscopy; Ultrastructure; Vicia faba; X-ray diffraction
• ISSN: 2197-4365; 2197-4365
• DOI: 10.1186/s40643-022-00591-7

Silicon (Si) and its nanomaterials could help plants cope with different negative effects of abiotic and/or biotic stresses. In this study, the antifungal role of silver/silicon dioxide nanocomposite (Ag/SiO 2 NC) biosynthesized using a free-cell supernatant of Escherichia coli D8 was investigated for controlling the growth parameters and yield of faba bean ( Vicia faba L.) infected by Botrytis cinerea . This nanocomposite was characterized using UV–Vis spectroscopy, Fourier transform-infrared (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), zeta analysis, and X-ray diffraction pattern (XRD). Positively charged Ag/SiO 2 NC (+ 31.0 mV) with spherical-shaped silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) showed strong in vitro antifungal activity with minimal inhibition concentration (MIC) value equal to 40 ppm. In vivo experiments revealed the good resistance of Ag/SiO 2 NC-treated plants against the B. cinerea infection due to the increase of total phenolic content, peroxidase, and polyphenol oxidase activity. The ultrastructure of Ag/SiO 2 NC-treated plants showed normal morphology of cells including cell membranes and ellipsoidal-shaped chloroplasts with big starch grains. The concentration of silver content in Ag/SiO 2 NC-treated plants was similar to the untreated control plant indicating the low realizability of AgNPs. All of these results are promising outcomes for the application of the biosynthesized Ag/SiO 2 NC as a safe and effective antifungal agent against B. cinerea . Graphical Abstract