Fusarium oxysporum, a bio-factory for nano selenium compounds: Synthesis and characterization

Abstract

Selenium nanoparticles have received major consideration for their antimicrobial and anticancer properties. In the present study, a mycelia fungus named Fusarium oxysporum was employed as a cell factory for bio-production of selenium and selenium sulfide nanoparticles. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) micrographs displayed that the NPs were encompassed in medium and cells debris along with the presence of sulfur and selenium in the particles according to the energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy findings. The size of spherical NPs was measured between 34.32 and 231.98 nm in SEM micrographs and 81.9 nm in DLS analysis. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy spectra supported selenium compounds production and showed that proteins were associated with the particles. The presence of primary and secondary amine bands was demonstrated by the peaks at 1090-1020 and 1650-1580 cmv, and at 1580-1490 cm-1 in FTIR spectra. UV/VIS spectrophotometry analysis showed that maximum absorbance for the test was at 217 nm. The strongest Bragg's reection in the X-ray diffractograms peaks revealed the closest match with SeS, SeS2, and Se according to standard JCPDS cards. Taken together, our results show that, Fusarium oxysporum is able to produce selenium-based nanoparticles in a safe and cost effective aerobic green approach.