Mechanisms of Antifungal Properties of Metal Nanoparticles

HIGHLIGHTS: What are the main findings? Mechanisms by which nanoparticles exert their damage on fungi were described. Transcriptomic studies regarding exposure to nanoparticles were analyzed. What is the implication of the main finding? Potential applications and future venues were discussed. More studies are needed to determine the safety of future applications of metallic nanoparticles. ABSTRACT: The appearance of resistant species of fungi to the existent antimycotics is challenging for the scientific community. One emergent technology is the application of nanotechnology to develop novel antifungal agents. Metal nanoparticles (NPs) have shown promising results as an alternative to classical antimycotics. This review summarizes and discusses the antifungal mechanisms of metal NPs, including combinations with other antimycotics, covering the period from 2005 to 2022. These mechanisms include but are not limited to the generation of toxic oxygen species and their cellular target, the effect of the cell wall damage and the hyphae and spores, and the mechanisms of defense implied by the fungal cell. Lastly, a description of the impact of NPs on the transcriptomic and proteomic profiles is discussed.