BIOTECHNOLOGICAL ASPECT FOR THE SYNTHESIS OF BIOACTIVE NANOPARTICLE

Sushil Shahi
Department of Microbiology, Janta Vedic PG College, Baraut 250611, INDIA

Mamta Patra Shahi
epartment of Microbiology, Janta Vedic PG College, Baraut 250611, INDIA

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     Last modified: April 29, 2006

Abstract
The area of nanotechnology, which spans the synthesis of nanoscale matter, understanding/utilizing their exotic physicochemical and optoelectronic properties, and organization of nanoscale structures into predefined superstructures, promises to play an increasingly important role in many key technologies of the new millennium [1,2]. As far as the synthesis of nanoparticle is concerned, there is an ever-growing need to develop clean, non-toxic and environmentally friendly (green nanochemistry) procedures. Consequently, researches in the field of nanoparticle preparation have been looking at biological systems for inspiration. The above factors, combined with academic curiosity, have lead to the development of biomimetic approaches for the growth of advance materials (bioactive materials). Many organisms, both unicellular and multicellular, are known to produces inorganic materials either intra- or extracellularly [3,4]. Even through microbes have been used with considerable success in biotechnological applications, such as remediation of toxic metals, reports on their use in the synthesis of nanomaterials are extremely limited. Mukherjee and coworker have demonstrated the formation of gold nanoparticle through Verticillium fungus sp [5]. In the present communication we showed that the lichen fungi (Usnea orientalis) synthesized the bioactive nanoparticle in culture conditions. Lichen fungi have diverse range of chemicals and produce some characteristic metabolites during artificial culture in synthetic medium [6,7,8]. During artificial culture of some lichens fungi in synthetic medium for metabolite synthesis, the lichen fungi of Usnea orientalis (ascomycetes fungi) found to be synthesized bioactive nanoparticle in specified medium under additional conditions. The size of the nanoparticle of almost uniforms in size, with a diameter of around 50-200 nanometer across. Such a narrow size distribution is characteristic of microbially synthesized nanoparticle. The nanoparticle become trapped both on the surface of the cell wall and on the cytoplasmic membrane. The controlled synthesis of nanoparticles of well-defined dimensions over a range of chemical compositions is an important aspect of nanomaterials engineering. Biological process are inherently accurate, and synthesis of all the particles takes place during a specific period of cell growth, most of the particle synthesized are of the same size-they have a very narrow size distribution. There is an ever-growing need to develop cleaner, non-toxic and environmentally friendly procedures for synthesizing the nanoparticles. So the research turned to biological systems for inspiration. This is first ever report of microbially synthesis of bioactive nanoparticle from lichen biomass (mycobiont) through in vitro culture. After almost exhaustion of medium after 7-8 days nanoparticles were isolated from medium through various methods before being purified. We were used Bio nanoemulsion technology for in vitro bioactivity testing of formulated nanoparticles from lichen metabolites. Detail in vitro analysis of nanoparticles was carried out against human pathogenic fungi, Trichophyton rubrum, T. mentagrophytes, Epidermophyton floccosum, Microsporum gypseum, M. audouini, causing fungal infection in humans and animals. Bioactive nanoemulsion was also found broad antifungal spectrum killing some other fungi, Candida albicans, Aspergillus flavus, Microsporum nanum. For clinical investigation, we have formulated bioactive nanoemulsion, before specific analysis. Bioactive nanoemulsion was found to be stable upto two year, during this period no agglutination was observed as specific natural surface protectant was added. Nanoemulsion was found to be extremely safe and effective for controlling dermatophytoses during in vivo investigation. Thus, our study will definitely provide an effective natural nanomedicine (bio-nanoantifungal) active against dermatophytoses; in near future after successful clinical trial, which is our next step. So, in this way we can exploit the lichen biomass (mycobionts) as nanofactories for the production of raw material for nanodrugs.