Journal of Biotechnology & Biomaterials
Open Access

Abstract

Candida is an opportunistic fungus, known to cause systemic and life threatening infections in immunosuppressed patients. In our attempt to dealt with this ominous fungal pathogen we have successfully fabricated ultrafine poly (D,L-lactide-co- glycolide), PLGA, nanofibrous membrane loaded with different concentrations of quercetin dihydrate, natural flavones with antioxidant and antimycolytic activity, using acetone-dichloromethane as solvent system. The bulk fabrication of these nanofibrous membrane was performed via electrospinning technique. The morphology of resulting nanofibrous membrane with or without quercetin dihydrate was examined using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). The nanofibrous membrane was also subjected to detailed analysis by Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR). The antimycolytic effect of these quercetin dihydrate loaded nanofibrous membrane on to the viability of C. albicans cells was established using modified XTT (2,3-bis(2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium-5-carboxanilide) reduction assay in 6 well polystyrene microtiter plates. Scanning electron Microscopic (SEM) visualization of this C. albicans treated quercetin dihydrate loaded nanofibrous membrane showed drastic reduction in the intense network of yeast, hyphae and pseudohyphae forms. These highly loaded nanofibrous membrane can be efficiently used as an antimycolytic agent as well as can be exploited as cost effective wound dressings and protective bandages.

Biography

Priya Vashisth is currently pursuing her PhD in Department of Biotechnology from Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, India under the joint supervision of Dr. Vikas Pruthi and Dr. R. P. Singh. She is working in the field of Nanobiotechnology (fabrication, characterization of polymeric nanofibers and their applications). She is awarded with the CSIR-JRF Fellowship, funded by Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).