Change of antifungal activity of micromycetes in the presence of nanoparticles

Abstract

Micromycetes were isolated from Moldavian soil, from which 11 strains belonging to the genus Trichoderma (5 strains) and Penicillium (6 strains) were selected, in which antifungal activity was determined in relation to a number of test cultures - 5 strains of phytopathogenic fungi that cause diseases of agricultural plants, often found in Moldova. The strains were grown on the agar medium Czapek with the addition of nanoparticles (NPs) to the medium in concentrations: Co - 0.0001%; Cu, ZnO, Fe₂O₃, Fe₂ZnO₄ and Fe₂CuO₄ - 0.001%. Studies have shown that the addition of Co NP to the medium did not affect the antifungal activity in the presence of Cu NP and ZnO NP (4.5-92%) in representatives of the genus Trichoderma. The best results were obtained by adding Fe₂O₃ or Fe2ZnO₄ (5.3-30.4%) to the medium. In representatives of the genus Penicillium, it was also noted that the best results in determining the antifungal activity corresponded to the variants of experiments with the addition of NPs Fe₂O₃, Fe2,ZnO₄ and Fe₂CuO₄ (an increase in the growth inhibition zones from 6.4 to 33.3%). Thus, according to the obtained results, it can be stated that the presence of NPs of various chemical natures have a definite effect on the change in the antifungal activity of micromycetes against to phytopathogens, causing various diseases of important crops cultivated in Moldova. The representatives of the genus Trichoderma and Penicillium found the possibility of increasing antifungal activity against to one or another phytopathogen, varying the composition of the cultivation medium by the addition of certain NPs to it.