Optical, structural, and antifungal properties of nanosilver borate bioactive glass synthesized using gamma rays on the survival of Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis.

A New glass system with a composition of; 50.3 B2O3+ 21 CaO + 8 MgO + 8 K2O + 8 Na2O + 4 P2O5 + 0.7 Nano Ag2O, was prepared by the traditional melting technique. Some of its structural, optical, and physical characteristics were investigated regarding the effect of gamma radiation. The XRD pattern revealed the amorphous nature of the fabricated glass sample. UV-visible absorption spectra revealed an obvious peak before 400 nm due to the absorption of Ag2 + ions, and a photo-reduction reaction to Ag0 was expected due to the impact of gamma irradiation. FTIR absorption spectra displayed structural bands in the region 800-1600 cm-1 recognized to the specific vibrations of BO3, BO4 and PO2. Results displayed optical and structural stability against gamma irradiation doses of 25 and 50 kGy, and revealed a positive effect of irradiation to enhance the antifungal efficiency of the glass or in sterilization processes before usage. The antifungal activity of borate bioglass doped with silver nanoparticles (BG/Ag) against Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis was assessed. BG/Ag was mostly effective against C. albicans. Furthermore, at a dosage of 40.0 mg/mL, BG/Ag considerably reduced biofilm formation of C. albicans and C. tropicalis (90.79 and 75.07 %). At 40 mg/mL, BG/Ag significantly reduced Candida viability, colony counts, and phospholipase activity. BG/Ag can be successfully applied as an attractive biomaterial for the medication of serious fungal infections. The novelty in the study is the synthesis of borate bioactive glass containing nanosilver- and the use of gamma irradiation to improve its biological properties.