Molecular identification of keratinophilic fungi associated with hair scalp and antifungal activity of green‐synthesis zinc oxide nanoparticles

Abstract

AbstractA diverse population of fungi colonizes human hair and skin due to millions of years of functional integration and mutual adaptation. The human body, with its fungal communities, forms a complex entity. Microbial imbalance is promoted by instabilities in the host–mycobiota interaction system, which can be related to the development of various diseases. By morphological and molecular identification, 15 genera comprising 24 species were isolated from 18 scalp samples collected from girls. Yeast‐like structures were the most common species in this study; they were recovered from six samples (33.3%). They were represented by five species: Arachniotus ruber; Cosmospora aurantiicola; Cutaneotrichosporon oleaginosum; Geotrichum candidum and Suhomyces tanzawaensis. For the synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs), an aqueous extract of Zingiber officinale was utilized as a reducing and capping agent. The prepared NPs tested by X‐ray diffraction, they had a hexagonal wurtzite structure. Most of the ZnO NPs were spherical, and their diameter was about 38.9 nm using a transmission electron microscope. ZnO NPs of the Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy spectra were recorded in the range of 400–4000 cm−1. UV–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy showed the 200–800 nm wavelength range. ZnO NPs showed the highest activity against Ambrosiella hartigii Ambh2; Cladosporium cladosporioides Cladcl12; C. cf. cucumerinum Cladcu13; S. tanzawaensis Suht34, with minimal inhibitory concentrations 1.25 × 103 µg/mL on the four isolates.