Abstract

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) is known to possess effective antimicrobial properties against a wide range of skin diseases. The use of green synthesis from plant extracts has also attracted attention because it is inexpensive, simple and environmentally friendly. This study focuses on evaluating the activity of silver nanoparticles on Staphylococcus epidermidis and Candida albicans which have been implicated in various cases of opportunistic infections of the skin. Potato capped silver nanoparticles were synthesized through a green route and characterized using UV, XRD, and TEM. Their antimicrobial effect was compared with conventional tetracycline and nystatin using an agar well diffusion assay. The zone of inhibition (ZOI), minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal/fungicidal concentration (MBC/MFC) were assessed. The ZOI for AgNPs was 34 mm and 42 mm at 90 mg/mL for S. epidermidus and C. albicans respectively while the ZOI of tetracycline and nystatin were 41mm and 18mm respectively at 90 mg/mL.The MIC and MBC for AgNPs was 5.63 mg/mL for S. epidermidis and <2.82 mg/mL for C. albicans. Meanwhile, the MIC and MBC for tetracycline was <3.13mg/mL for S. epidermidis while MIC and MFC was >100mg/mL for nystatin. AgNPs therefore had a better performance on C. albicans than the conventional nystatin. The Ultra-violet visible Spectrophotometer showed absorbance peak at 520 nm, the Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) showed pentagonal AgNPs with an average particle size of 76 nm while the XRD shows the crystalinity of the NPs and also confirms the nanoparticles possessing the face centred cubic structure (fcc). The results of this study gives credence to the scientific basis of AgNPs for skin care formulations.