Research Paper Antifungal and antibacterial activity of densely dispersed silver nanospheres with homogeneity size which synthesized using chicory: An in vitro study M. Khatami a,b, *, N. Zafarnia c, *, M. Heydarpoor Bami d , I. Sharifi e , H. Singh f,g a NanoBioElectrochemistry Research Center, Bam University of Medical Sciences, Bam, Iran b Research Center of Tropical and Infectious Diseases, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran c School of Nursing and Midwifery, Bam University of Medical Sciences, Bam, Iran d Population and Infertility Research Center, Bam University of Medical Sciences, Bam, Iran e Leishmaniasis Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran f Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside 92521, USA g Department of Oriental Medicinal Biotechnology, College of Life Science, Kyung Hee University Global Campus, 1732 Deokyoungdaero, Giheung-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do, 446-701, Republic of Korea 1. Introduction Recently, resistance to commercially available antimicrobial and antifungal agents by pathogenic fungal and bacteria strains has been emerged at an alarming rate and pose serious problem in controlling the spread of infectious diseases particularly in burn center of many hospitals across the globe [1–9]. Frequent isolation of multidrug resistant bacteria (MDR) in infected wounds [10] has led to the need for potent agents that can be used to treat colonized bacteria effectively. Fusarium species are Journal de Mycologie Me ´ dicale xxx (2018) xxx–xxx Abbreviations: MDR and XDR, Multi and Extensive Drug Resistance Hospital Pathogens; XRD, X-ray Diffraction; SEM, Scanning Electron Microscopy; FTIR, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy; MIC, Minimum Inhibitory Concentration; MBC, Minimum Bactericidal Concentration; Ag NSs, Silver Nanospheres; DLS, Dynamic Light Scattering. * Corresponding authors. E-mail addresses: Mehrdad7khatami@gmail.com (M. Khatami), zafarnianiloofar@gmail.com (N. Zafarnia). A R T I C L E I N F O Article history: Received 6 March 2018 Received in revised form 12 July 2018 Accepted 20 July 2018 Available online xxx Keywords: Silver nanospheres MIC MBC Burn pathogens Antifungal A B S T R A C T With increase in isolation of multi and extensive drug resistance hospital pathogens (MDR, XDR) in burn centers of many hospitals in the world, attempt to use nanomaterials for treatment of burn-infected patients is the focus of researches all around the world. In the present investigation silver nanospheres (Ag NSs) has been synthesized by chicory seed exudates (CSE). The various parameters influencing the mechanism of Ag NSs synthesis including temperature, concentration, pH and time were studied. Greener Ag NSs were formed when the reaction conditions were altered with respect to pH, concentration of AgNO 3 and incubation temperature. Finally, we evaluated antimicrobial activity of silver nanospheres biosynthesized by chicory (Cichodrium intybus) against most prevalent burn bacteria pathogens Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, and fungus Fusarium solani. The UV visible spectroscopy, X-Ray diffraction (XRD), dynamic light scattering (DLS) used for primary screening of physicochemical properties. The transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images showed the Ag NSs (with globular shape) with a size less than 25 nm that they have the same size about 8 nm (more than 97% are 8 nm). Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of Ag NSs against the standard strains of A. baumannii, P. aeruginosa and K. pneumonia showed a relatively high inhibitory and bactericidal activity (MIC 1.56 mg/mL and MBC 3.12 mg/mL) of the nanoparticles and F. solani cultures. In antifungal tests, the lowest level of zone of inhibition was observed at a concentration of 5 mg/mL synthesized silver nanospheres with the 7% inhibition of growth. Ag NSs have high antimicrobial activity against three common burn bacteria pathogens and fungus F. solani. Therefore, Ag NSs can be used to prevent burn infection and for wound healing.  C 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved. G Model MYCMED-828; No. of Pages 8 Please cite this article in press as: Khatami M, et al. Antifungal and antibacterial activity of densely dispersed silver nanospheres with homogeneity size which synthesized using chicory: An in vitro study. Journal De Mycologie Me ´ dicale (2018), https://doi.org/10.1016/ j.mycmed.2018.07.007 Available online at ScienceDirect www.sciencedirect.com https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mycmed.2018.07.007 1156-5233/  C 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.