| Popis: |
Nanotechnology is recognized as a sustainable technology with the potential to revolutionize the agriculture sector. The current challenge in agriculture is the management of emerging pests and pathogens that cause considerable losses in crops. With the increasing interest in minimization of toxic agrochemicals and adoption of sustainable processes, the development of green nanotechnology approaches is desirable. Fungi are considered as outstanding candidates for the fabrication of nanoparticles because of the simple and quantitative scale-up method. It has been reported that enzymes, proteins, and other metabolites of fungi catalyze the reducing and stabilizing reactions during the fabrication of nanoparticles. However, in fungal-mediated green synthesis, the shape and size of nanoparticles, as well as physiological solubility and bioactivity, depend on the reaction condition of the selected fungi. The novel properties like antimicrobial and insecticidal activity of the nanoparticles are attributed to the type of material selected for fabrication and the size of the nanoparticles. Therefore, the selection of reducing bioagent and substrate for nanoparticles synthesis is a very important step in green nanotechnology. It is crucial to standardize the process with variable sets of parameters, like temperature, pH, substrate concentrations, and reaction time. Several fungal species like Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus terreus, Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus flavus, Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium solani, Fusarium semitectum, Fusarium acuminatum, Neurospora crassa, Penicillium spp., Phanerochaete chrysosporium, Phoma glomerata, and Hormoconis resinae have been reported in the biosynthesis of nanoparticles. In addition, we have recently explored the application of Ganoderma applanatum in the synthesis of silver nanoparticles with potent antimicrobial properties. Furthermore, this chapter aims to shed more light on the importance of novel fungal strains in synthesizing nanoparticles with potential applications in plant disease management. |
