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Effect of silver nanoparticles on Candida albicans biofilms: an ultrastructural study

Overview of attention for article published in Journal of Nanobiotechnology, December 2015
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  • Good Attention Score compared to outputs of the same age (69th percentile)
  • Good Attention Score compared to outputs of the same age and source (76th percentile)

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1 YouTube creator

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259 Dimensions

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257 Mendeley
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Title
Effect of silver nanoparticles on Candida albicans biofilms: an ultrastructural study
Published in
Journal of Nanobiotechnology, December 2015
DOI 10.1186/s12951-015-0147-8
Pubmed ID
Authors

Humberto H. Lara, Dulce G. Romero-Urbina, Christopher Pierce, Jose L. Lopez-Ribot, M. Josefina Arellano-Jiménez, Miguel Jose-Yacaman

Abstract

Candida albicans is the most common pathogenic fungus isolated in bloodstream infections in hospitalized patients, and candidiasis represents the fourth most common infection in United States hospitals, mostly due to the increasing numbers of immune- and medically-compromised patients. C. albicans has the ability to form biofilms and morphogenetic conversions between yeast and hyphal morphologies contribute to biofilm development and represent an essential virulence factor. Moreover, these attached communities of cells are surrounded by a protective exopolymeric matrix that effectively shelters Candida against the action of antifungals. Because of dismal outcomes, novel antifungal strategies, and in particular those targeting biofilms are urgently required. As fungi are eukaryotic, research and development of new antifungal agents has been difficult due to the limited number of selective targets, also leading to toxicity. By microwave-assisted techniques we obtained pure 1 nm spherical silver nanoparticles ideal for their potential biological applications without adding contaminants. A phenotypic assay of C. albicans demonstrated a potent dose-dependent inhibitory effect of silver nanoparticles on biofilm formation, with an IC50 of 0.089 ppm. Also silver nanoparticles demonstrated efficacy when tested against pre-formed C. albicans biofilms resulting in an IC50 of 0.48 ppm. The cytotoxicity assay resulted in a CC50 of 7.03 ppm. The ultrastructural differences visualized under SEM with silver nanoparticles treatment were changes in the surface appearance of the yeast from smooth to rough thus indicating outer cell wall damage. On the fungal pre-formed biofilm true hyphae was mostly absent, as filamentation was inhibited. TEM measurement of the cell-wall width of C. albicans after treatment resulted in significant enlargement (206  ±  11 nm) demonstrating membrane permeabilization. Our results demonstrate that silver nanoparticles are potent inhibitors of C. albicans biofilm formation. SEM observations are consistent with an overall loss of structure of biofilms mostly due to disruption of the outer cell membrane/wall and inhibition of filamentation.TEM indicates the permeabilization of the cell wall and subsequent disruption of the structural layers of the outer fungal cell wall. The anti-biofilm effects are via cell wall disruption.

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X Demographics

The data shown below were collected from the profiles of 4 X users who shared this research output. Click here to find out more about how the information was compiled.
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Mendeley readers

Mendeley readers

The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 257 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.

Geographical breakdown

Country Count As %
United Kingdom 2 <1%
Unknown 255 99%

Demographic breakdown

Readers by professional status Count As %
Student > Ph. D. Student 39 15%
Student > Master 39 15%
Researcher 28 11%
Student > Bachelor 22 9%
Student > Doctoral Student 13 5%
Other 37 14%
Unknown 79 31%
Readers by discipline Count As %
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology 30 12%
Medicine and Dentistry 28 11%
Agricultural and Biological Sciences 28 11%
Immunology and Microbiology 26 10%
Chemistry 16 6%
Other 40 16%
Unknown 89 35%
Attention Score in Context

Attention Score in Context

This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 4. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 02 August 2023.
All research outputs
#8,420,927
of 25,964,892 outputs
Outputs from Journal of Nanobiotechnology
#369
of 2,056 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#120,658
of 398,824 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Journal of Nanobiotechnology
#4
of 17 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 25,964,892 research outputs across all sources so far. This one has received more attention than most of these and is in the 67th percentile.
So far Altmetric has tracked 2,056 research outputs from this source. They receive a mean Attention Score of 3.8. This one has done well, scoring higher than 81% of its peers.
Older research outputs will score higher simply because they've had more time to accumulate mentions. To account for age we can compare this Altmetric Attention Score to the 398,824 tracked outputs that were published within six weeks on either side of this one in any source. This one has gotten more attention than average, scoring higher than 69% of its contemporaries.
We're also able to compare this research output to 17 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one has done well, scoring higher than 76% of its contemporaries.