Synergistic activity of gold nanoparticles with amphotericin B on persister cells of Candida tropicalis biofilms

Aim The antifungal activity was studied on sessile and persister cells (PCs) of Candida tropicalis biofilms of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) stabilized with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB-AuNPs) and those conjugated with cysteine, in combination with Amphotericin B (AmB). Materials/methods The PC model was used and synergistic activity was tested by the checkerboard assay. Biofilms were studied by crystal violet and scanning electron microscopy. Results/Conclusions After the combination of both AuNPs and AmB the biofilm biomass was reduced, with significant differences in architecture being observed with a reduced biofilm matrix. In addition, the CTAB-AuNPs-AmB combination significantly reduced PCs. Understanding how these AuNPs aid in the fight against biofilms and the development of new approaches to eradicate PCs has relevance for chronic infection treatment.