Nystatin-mediated bismuth oxide nano-drug synthesis using gamma rays for increasing the antimicrobial and antibiofilm activities against some pathogenic bacteria and Candida species

The novelty of the present research is the synthesis of bismuth oxide nanoparticles (Bi₂O₃ NPs) loaded with the antifungal nystatin drug via gamma rays for increased synergistic antimicrobial potential against some pathogenic bacteria and Candida species. The full characterization of the synthesized Bi₂O₃ NPs-Nystatin was achieved by XRD, FT-IR, HR-TEM, and SEM/EDX mapping techniques in order to analyze the crystallinity, chemical functional groups, average particle size, morphology, and elemental structure, respectively. The antimicrobial activities of Bi₂O₃ NPs-Nystatin were examined against pathogenic bacteria and Candida species, including the zone of inhibition (ZOI), minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), and antibiofilm activity. Additionally, the SEM/EDX method was performed to investigate the mode of action on the treated Candida cells. Our results revealed that Bi₂O₃ NPs-Nystatin possessed a well-crystallized semi-spherical shape with an average particle size of 27.97 nm. EDX elemental study of the synthesized Bi₂O₃ NPs-Nystatin indicated a high level of purity. Interestingly, the synthesized Bi₂O₃ NPs-Nystatin displayed encouraging antibacterial behavior against almost all the tested bacteria and a synergistic antifungal potential toward the investigated Candida species. Additionally, Bi₂O₃ NPs-Nystatin was found to be a promising antibiofilm agent, resulting in inhibition percentages of 94.15% and 84.85% against C. albicans (1) and E. coli, respectively. The present research provides a revolutionary nano-drug-based solution to address the increasing global resistance of pathogenic microbes at low concentrations, thus offering a new infectious disease treatment technique that is cost effective, eco-friendly, and works in an acceptable time frame.