Anticandidal activity of greenly synthesized silver nanoparticles formulated using Alkanna tinctoria roots against multidrug resistant candidal pathogens.

Multidrug-resistant Candida infections demand urgent therapeutic solutions. This study demonstrated the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles designated At-AgNPs using Alkanna tinctoria root extract, showing enhanced antifungal activity against Candida species including resistant C. auris. Characterization confirmed spherical At-AgNPs with 19.91 nm diameter by TEM and 120.6 nm hydrodynamic size, exhibiting a UV-Vis peak at 406.27 nm. EDX analysis revealed 79.24% silver content, while XRD patterns verified face-centered cubic crystallinity. The nanoparticles maintained excellent stability with zeta potential measuring - 23.34 mV and PDI 0.202. At-AgNPs displayed strong antifungal effects, particularly against C. parapsilosis showing 15.46 mm inhibition zone with MIC and MFC values of 1.0 and 2.0 mg/L respectively. Notable synergy emerged when combining At-AgNPs with conventional antifungals, especially clotrimazole against C. albicans demonstrating 37.28 mm inhibition compared to 33.84 mm for clotrimazole alone. SEM imaging revealed extensive morphological damage to fungal cells following combination treatment. These results position At-AgNPs as a viable adjunct therapy capable of boosting conventional treatment effectiveness while potentially lowering required drug doses and minimizing side effects in resistant Candida infections.