USE OF A SILVER NANOPARTICLE FORMULATION AS AN INHIBITING AGENT OF THE PATHOGENICITY OF FUSARIUM LACERTARUM.

Abstract

The present invention provides for the use of an aqueous formulation of silver nanoparticles coated with protein hydrolysate containing: 12 mg / mL of metallic silver, 188 mg / mL of protein hydrolysate, and 800 mg / mL of distilled water, for the inhibition of the pathogenicity of the colonizing fungus Fusarium lacertarum. Tests performed for the validation of the invention demonstrate a reduction in phytopathogenic potential of between 55% and 66%.

Description

USE OF A SILVER NANOPARTICLE FORMULATION AS AN INHIBITOR OF FUSARIUM LACERTARUM PATHOGENICITY DESCRIPTION OF THE OBJECT OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is to provide a formulation of silver nanoparticles coated with protein hydrolysate for inhibiting the pathogenicity of the fungus Fusarium lacertarum. The present invention pertains to the technical field of using nanoparticle formulations for plant improvement or preservation. BACKGROUND The genus Fusarium contains species that have been considered plant pathogens because they cause diseases such as head blight, crown rot, and scab in cereals, as well as other ailments like blights, vascular wilts, cankers, and root rots. This list also includes diseases such as Pokkah-boeng in sugarcane, bakanae disease in rice, wheat blight, and Panama disease of bananas. Furthermore, some crown, grain, and seed diseases of cereal crops can be caused by F. graminearum in wheat, F. verticillioides in maize, and F. thapsinum in sorghum, among others. These fungi produce mycotoxins such as trichothecenes, fumonisins, and zearalenones, which are toxic or pose a threat to human and animal health, resulting in significant losses in agricultural yields. Although Fusarium is known as a soil fungus due to its abundance and association with roots, as a parasite or saprophyte, species of the genus Fusarium are found distributed throughout the soil, the aerial and subterranean parts of plants, plant debris, and organic substrates. Fusarium causes vascular wilts, crown and seed diseases, stem, root, and crown rots, as well as cankers, or it can cause syndromes. Affected stems experience reduced nutrient and water flow, which also affects the grains, and the weakened stem leads to plant collapse and makes harvesting difficult. Root and crown rots are the most common diseases caused by Fusarium, although their diagnosis is complicated because the infection is sometimes also caused by other saprophytic pathogens. Geographically, the genus Fusarium is common in temperate and tropical climates, although it is also found in arctic, desert, and alpine regions, in fertile cultivated soils, pastures, and forests. The diseases it causes are not confined to any particular region, as it is abundant in commercially agricultural areas of temperate and tropical climates, making its presence economically important. Fusarium lacertatum has been reported as one of the species in the Fusarium incarnatum-equiseti complex. F. lacertarum has been reported as a pathogen of various plant species, including causing root rot when it infects Carya illinoinensis or Vigna unguiculata, cladode rot in Nopalea cochenellifera, head blight in Sorghum bicolor plants, and seedling viability decline in Causarina equisetifolia, Pinus halepensis, among others. Its presence has also been reported in corn kernels (Tsehaye, H., et al., 2016). The control measures generally recommended for plant diseases caused by Fusarium range from modifications to agronomic practices, such as tillage or reducing susceptible plant residues, crop rotation to crops not susceptible to the specific pathogen, or the development of resistance in susceptible plants; as well as some chemical and biological control methods. However, chemical control methods are still considered inefficient, and fungicides with a significant degree of effectiveness are scarce (Summerell B, et al., 2010). Biological control methods are also limited and address very specific situations based on geographic location, crop type, particular characteristics of the pathogen, level of propagation, and other situational factors. Therefore, there is a need to develop control methods to effectively reduce plant diseases caused by the genus Fusarium. With the development of nanotechnology, new solutions are being developed throughout the agricultural sector's value chain. New nanomaterials are modifying practices ranging from agricultural production and pest control to storage, formulation, packaging, and distribution. Particularly for the control of microorganisms that cause plant diseases or contaminate agricultural products, different types of nanomaterials with antimicrobial properties have been developed, such as various nanoparticles of silver, copper, zinc, titanium, etc., as well as metal-based composites like ZnO, SiO2, TiO2, TiN, etc. Among these, engineered silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are among the most effective against a wide range of microorganisms, including bacteria, yeasts, fungi, molds, and viruses. (Tarazona et al., 2019) Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are small structures between 1 and 100 nanometers in size, recognized for their antimicrobial and, although less studied, fungicidal and fungistatic properties. The accepted mechanism is that the interaction of the thiol groups of the enzymes with silver ions causes the DNA of treated bacteria to lose its ability to replicate, and the cell membrane may also be affected (Morones et al., 2005). Furthermore, AgNPs exhibit better antimicrobial properties than metallic silver due to their extremely large surface area, which can provide better contact with the microorganism. AgNPs can be designed to have different physicochemical properties, such as optical, magnetic, and catalytic properties. Antimicrobial AgNPs, which can have different sizes and particle sizes and can be produced by different methods, are available in the QOCQnn / 77n7 / R / VIAI range. (Pryshchepa et al., 2020) Additionally, different AgNPs can be embedded in different polymer matrices, stabilizing agents, etc. This provides a wide variety of possibilities for the development of AgNPs, formulations, nanocomposites, and nanomaterials containing AgNPs, useful for different agricultural applications. (Azizi-Lalabadi et al., 2021) Various formulations and composites of AgNPs have been reported to inhibit the growth and reproduction of fungi of the genus Fusarium. For example, applications TW200944212A and US2009148484A1 present a formulation of AgNPs in a clay matrix. US2013108678A1 and US10070651B1 present AgNP composites in a silica matrix. WO2013098774A1, WO2018023128A1, and WO2021113377A1 report AgNP compositions in zeolite matrices. Patent KR101815693B1 reports AgNP films in a chitosan matrix. Patent BR102013026639B1 claims a graphene-supported cellulose and AgNP membrane for water purification. BR102013027700A2 claims a polysaccharide film and AgNPs for preserving fruits and vegetables. Application BR102016031050A2 claims an AgNP composition with copaiba oil that is particularly effective against Fusarium oxysporum.Application BR102017027559A2 claims a composition of AgNPs with Catuaba oil that is particularly effective against Fusarium oxysporum. It should be noted that Fusarium lacertarum is not mentioned in any of these documents. Regarding publications in scientific articles on the use of AgNP formulations against fungi of the genus Fusarium, the following were identified, for example: Gorczyca et al. (2015) reported AgNPs produced by the high-voltage arc discharge method and their antifungal effect on F. culmorum. Akpinar et al. (2021) reported AgNPs provided by Nanografic Inc., against F. oxysporum. Alvarez-Carvajal, F. (2020) reported an AgNP formulation with chitosan to control the growth and reduce the severity of tomato vascular wilt disease caused by F. oxysporum. Tarazona et al (2019) report AgNPs produced from AgNOa and a two-reduction process, one with NaBHU and the second with TSC, with different effects on the growth of eight Fusarium species studied (F. graminearum, F. culmorum, F. sporotrichioides, F. langsethiae, F. poae, F. oxysporum, F. proliferatum and F. verticillioides).It is important to highlight that the effects of different doses and exposure times to AgNPs on the growth of the studied Fusarium species are highly diverse. This means that each species is differentially sensitive to the AgNPs to which it was exposed, and that their application may not be effective for controlling some species or may require the implementation of different treatments. This underscores the need to continue developing formulations and treatment methods with AgNPs that are effective for controlling the various species of the genus Fusarium. It is worth noting that some strains of Fusarium, primarily F. oxysporum, are being used to synthesize AgNPs with biogenic matrices. This involves providing the fungus in culture with AgNPs at certain non-toxic concentrations, and the fungus, upon encapsulating the AgNPs, generates biological matrices for their containment. These AgNPs with biological matrices, produced mainly by F. oxysporum, have been reported as promising for the control of some species of bacteria and other microorganisms. However, this is distinct from the use of AgNPs for pathogenicity control, growth regulation, or as a fungicide against Fusarium species. Finally, the review of the state of the art did not find any patent documents or scientific articles involving the use of AgNP compositions or formulations with protein hydrolysate or protein hydrolysate coatings and the control of pathogenicity, growth or as a fungicide against Fusarium lacertarum, specifically. Having mentioned the state of the art, we observe that the use described in the present invention has not been disclosed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES Figure 1 shows a graph of the fresh weight growth of the fungus Fusarium lacertarum in relation to its fresh weight after the application of different concentrations of the protein hydrolysate-coated AgNP formulation evaluated. It can be observed that in the control treatments, with culture medium (1) and water (2), the fresh weight of the F. lacertarum hyphae did not increase during the study period. However, the fresh weight of the fungus treated with the 10 mM (3), 1 mM (4), 100 μM (5), and 10 μM (6) AgNP formulations coated with protein hydrolysate increased from day 14 onwards, indicating the effect of the protein hydrolysate-coated AgNP formulation on F. lacertarum during the study period. Figure 2 shows a bar graph with the percentage of damaged corn plants after inoculation with F. lacertarum obtained from the evaluated nanoparticle treatments. It can be observed that in the control treatments, with culture medium (1) and water (2), the corn seedlings inoculated with F. lacertarum were proportionally more damaged than the corn seedlings where the 10mM (3), 1mM (4), 100μM (5), and 10μM (6) AgNP formulations coated with protein hydrolysate were applied. Figure 3 shows photographs of 2-week-old corn plants inoculated with the fungus F. lacertarum obtained from treatments with culture medium (1), water (2), and treatments of 10 mM (3), 1 mM (4), 100 μM (5), and 10 μM (6) of the AgNP formulation coated with protein hydrolysate. The typical symptoms of F. lacertarum infection are observed: “shrinking” and discoloration in the marked areas of the leaves. Figure 4. Shows micrographs with the bioaccumulation of silver nanoparticles in the tissues of the fungus F. lacertarum, labeled with N and arrows, after treatments with different concentrations of the AgNP formulation coated with protein hydrolysate: 10 mM (0.12 mg / mL of metallic silver and 1.88 mg / mL of protein hydrolysate (a, b and c)), 1 mM (0.012 mg / mL of metallic silver and 0.188 mg / mL of protein hydrolysate (dye)), 100 μM (1.2 pg / mL of metallic silver and 18.8 pg / mL of protein hydrolysate (fi)), 10 pM (0.12 pg / mL of metallic silver and 1.88 pg / mL of protein hydrolysate (j and l)), and control (m). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to the use of a formulation of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) coated with protein hydrolysate and water for the inhibition of the pathogenicity of the fungus Fusarium lacertarum. More specifically, it refers to the use of a formulation comprising 12 mg / mL of silver nanoparticles, 188 mg / mL of protein hydrolysate and 800 mg / mL of distilled water, for the inhibition of the pathogenicity of the fungus Fusarium lacertarum. More specifically, it refers to the use of the formulation of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) coated with protein hydrolysate and water, at a concentration of 1mM for the inhibition of the pathogenicity of the fungus Fusarium lacertarum. The formulation of AgNPs coated with protein hydrolysate and water, which is claimed to inhibit the pathogenic potential of Fusarium lacertarum, is produced by the Vector Vita Scientific and Production Center and marketed under the brand name Bioargovit®. The Bioargovit® formulation comprises silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), protein hydrolysate, and water. More specifically, it is a formulation of AgNPs coated with protein hydrolysate synthesized as described in patent number RU2646105C1, “Method for the production of silver proteinate.” This formulation, according to the manufacturer's information, is a highly dispersed aqueous suspension with a total concentration of 200 mg / mL (20%). The reported metallic silver content for this formulation is 111.2 mM (12 mg / mL), stabilized with 188 mg / mL of hydrolyzed protein, and uses 800 mg / mL (80%) of sterile distilled water as a vehicle. The example shows the results of different experiments that determined that the Bioargovit® formulation is useful for inhibiting the pathogenic potential of Fusarium lacertarum. The present invention also relates to the use of a formulation of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) coated with protein hydrolysate and water, at a concentration of 1 mM, for inhibiting the pathogenicity of the fungus Fusarium lacertarum. EXAMPLE 1. Formulation of silver nanoparticles as an inhibitor of the pathogenicity of the fungus Fusarium lacertarum. The BioArgovit® formulation comprises silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), protein hydrolysate, and water. More specifically, BioArgovit® is a formulation of AgNPs coated with protein hydrolysate, synthesized as described in granted patent number RU2646105C1, “Method for the production of silver proteinate.” This formulation, according to the manufacturer's information, is a highly dispersed aqueous suspension with a total concentration of 200 mg / mL (20%). The reported metallic silver content for this formulation is 111.2 mM (12 mg / mL), stabilized with 188 mg / mL of hydrolyzed protein, and uses 800 mg / mL (80%) of sterile distilled water as a vehicle. The characterization of the batch of AgNPs formulation covered with silver hydrolysate Bioargovit®, used in the development of the experiments shown in the sections of this example are similar to those reported in Valenzuela et al (2021). The following sections of the example show the results of different experiments through which it was determined that the Bioargovit® formulation is useful in inhibiting the pathogenic potential of Fusarium lacertarum at different concentrations. GROWTH OF Fusarium lacertarum. Fungal microorganisms were obtained from a strain of Fusarium lacertarum, which was inoculated by stabbing a Petri dish containing PDA (potato dextrose agar) and incubated at 25°C for 5 days. Subsequently, a sample was taken from the resulting colony using a bacteriological loop, and serial dilutions were made to count the Fusarium spores in a Neubauer chamber. The culture was scaled up to 100 spores per mL in 200 mL of PDB (potato dextrose broth) and maintained under agitation at 100 rpm at 25°C in a shaker for 7 days to allow mycelium formation. The biomass was separated from the PDB culture broth using a Whatman Ng2 filter and a Buchner funnel, to obtain a filtrate of Fusarium lacertarum mycelium biomass that was used in the preparation of suspensions with silver nanoparticles. IN VITRO TREATMENT WITH SILVER NANOPARTICLES. Treatments were performed using a silver nanoparticle formulation containing 12 mg / mL of metallic silver, 188 mg / mL of protein hydrolysate, and 800 mg / mL of distilled water. One gram of the previously obtained fungal biomass was placed in 8 mL of PDB, and 1 mL of the nanoparticle solution diluted in sterile water was added. The total volume was 10 mL, contained in 15 mL capped tubes. The concentrations of the silver nanoparticle solutions used in the treatments were 10 mM (0.12 mg / mL of metallic silver and 1.88 mg / mL of protein hydrolysate), 1 mM (0.012 mg / mL of metallic silver and 0.188 mg / mL of protein hydrolysate), 100 μM (1.2 pg / mL of metallic silver and 18.8 pg / mL of protein hydrolysate), and 10 pM (0.12 pg / mL of metallic silver and 1.88 pg / mL of protein hydrolysate). Sterile culture medium and sterile water controls were used.The tubes with the nanoparticle solutions in contact with the fungus were mixed in a Labnet® Gyromini Nutating Mixer, at room temperature for 15 days. EFFECTS ON FUNGAL GROWTH. Daily readings of the fresh weight of each treatment were taken for 15 days to observe the effect of the nanoparticle solutions on the mycelial growth of Fusarium lacertarum. The data were analyzed using a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). As can be seen in Figure 1, with a 95% confidence interval, it was concluded that the means between treatments were not significantly different, except on day 13. The in vitro growth of Fusarium lacertarum in contact with AgNP solutions was the same among the 10 mM, 1 mM, 100 pM, and 10 pM treatments, as well as among the medium and culture (PDB) and water controls. This indicates that the minimum fungicidal concentration is greater than 0.1 M and that the fungus showed adaptation to the concentrations of the AgNP formulation used. The increase in growth around day 14 is explained as being dependent on the AgNP dose and the exposure time. (Tarazona, A., et al 2019) PATHOGENICITY TESTS. Certified corn (Zea mays) seeds were used. These were soaked in a sodium hypochlorite solution for 15 minutes, then rinsed with sterile distilled water and placed in a container of distilled water for 15 minutes to remove any hypochlorite residue. Seventy-two seeds were sown in a plastic container with individual wells filled with previously sterilized potting soil. They were incubated at 24°C and watered daily with distilled water for 7 days. The Fusarium lacertarum inoculum was prepared in 750 µL of a 15% gelatin solution. Mycelium from each of the silver nanoparticle treatments was deposited, as well as a positive control (pathogenic Fusarium lacertarum mycelium) and a negative control (15% gelatin solution). Each solution was mixed by immersion and inoculated onto the leaves of one-week-old corn plants.The inoculum was applied to the underside of the leaf using a brush. The treated plants were placed in a cardboard box to maintain dark conditions. Seven replicates were performed per treatment. The plants were checked every 24 hours to determine the effects of the treatments up to 96 hours. The CMF (Minimum Fungicide Concentration), LOAEC (Lowest At Which Adverse Effects Are Observed), and NOAEC (Maximum At Which Adverse Effects Are Observed) were determined. Figure 2 shows a bar graph with the percentage of symptomatic corn plants after inoculation with Fusarium lacertarum, obtained from treatments with silver nanoparticles at concentrations of 10 mM, 1 mM, 100 μM, and 10 μM. With a 95% confidence interval, the means between treatments were significantly different, indicating a decrease in the phytopathogenic potential of Fusarium lacertarum when grown at the different concentrations of the AgNP formulation coated with protein hydrolysate. Rectangles were marked on the leaves with black ink to segment them into zones and assess the damage. The damage present in an F. lacertarum infection is represented as wilting, wilting, or "creasing," which is the typical symptom of an F. lacertarum infection.In the case of yellow or brown leaf tips, these are considered additional damage and must be accompanied by an area of ​​wrinkling, wilting, or silvering to be considered a symptom of F. lacertarum damage. On the other hand, Figure 3 shows photographs of the corn plants inoculated with the treatments. In (1) of Figure 3, we can see the plants inoculated with culture medium; in (2), those inoculated with water; in (3), those inoculated with fungi obtained from the 10 mM treatment; in (4), those inoculated with fungi obtained from the 1 mM treatment; in (5), those inoculated with fungi obtained from the 100 µM treatment; and in (6), those inoculated with fungi obtained from the 10 µM treatment. It can be observed that the 1 mM and 10 µM treatments exhibited slight chlorosis and wilting, as did the controls. In contrast, the 100 µM and 10 µM treatments showed a significant decrease in the phytopathogenic potential of Fusarium lacertarum, specifically between 50% and 66%.In corn plants, 66% showed wilting in the inoculation areas of 2-week-old plants, while in younger, 1-week-old plants, the percentage of fungal damage from AgNP treatments was 0%, indicating that contact between Fusarium lacertarum and AgNPs reduces its phytopathogenic potential. Relating the fresh weight of Fusarium lacertarum to the decrease in phytopathogenic potential when applying AgNP-treated mycelium to corn plants suggests that F. lacertarum ceases interacting with AgNPs at a certain point to continue growing, but the resulting biomass loses its phytopathogenic potential. BIOACCUMULATION OF SILVER NANOPARTICLES. The biomass from each of the treatments with silver nanoparticles was separated by centrifugation at 10,000 rpm for 15 minutes and the size, morphology and aggregation state of silver nanoparticles contained in the Fusarium lacertarum biomass was determined by Fluorescence Microscopy. Figure 4 shows the bioaccumulation of AgNPs in Fusarium lacertarum using the red filter of the VELAB VE146YT Binocular Fluorescence Microscope, where the mycelium was stained with 0.01% Congo Red. AgNPs were observed at low concentrations and occasionally outside the fungal hyphae. Figure 4 (a), (b), and (c) show the bioaccumulation of the 10 mM treatment; (d) and (e) show the bioaccumulation of the 1 mM treatment; (f), (g), (h), and (i) show the bioaccumulation of the 100 μM treatment; (j), (k), and (i) show the bioaccumulation of the 10 μM treatment; and (m) shows the control. The bioaccumulations appear as areas with increased fluorescence within the hyphae, which increases proportionally with the concentration of the treatments.The observation of small fluorescence spots inside the hypha, as well as outside of it, indicates that AgNPs (marked with N and arrows in Figure 4) tend to accumulate outside the cell wall and penetrate the fungal cell layers to be distributed within the fungus, which agrees with what was observed by Abdel-Hafez, et al (2016). A decrease in phytopathogenic potential and a lower accumulation of AgNPs were observed, linked to a rebound in growth, reinforcing the idea that F. lacertarum requires a smaller amount of AgNPs to have its phytopathogenic potential affected and continue growing. This agrees with the findings of Morones et al. (2005), who indicate that AgNPs affect the cell's defense system. Similarly, Kim et al. (2012) recognize that there is a specific fungicidal concentration of AgNPs for F. oxysporum and Alternaria sp. This suggests that Fusarium lacertarum likely has a minimum concentration at which it is able to grow and lose its phytopathogenic capacity. The toxicity of AgNPs is related to their shape, size, and concentration, which is consistent with the findings of Gorka et al. (2015). In Fusarium lacertarum, the phytopathogenic potential was reduced at a concentration of 1 mM of the silver hydrolyzed coated AgNP formulation. This demonstrates that the formulation has an effect on the ability of the fungus Fusarium lacertarum to cause disease in corn plants. LITERATURE Abdel-Hafez, S., Nafady, N., Abdel-Rahim, I., Shaltout, A., Daros, J., and Mohamed, M. (2016). Assessment of protein silver nanoparticles toxicity against pathogenic Alternaria solani. 3 Biotech, 6 (2): 199. Alvarez-Carvajal, Francisco, Gonzalez-Soto, Tañía, Armenta-Calderón, AD, Méndez Ibarra, Rogelio, Esquer-Miranda, Edgard, Juárez, Josué, & EncinasBasurto, David. (2020). Silver nanoparticles coated with chitosan against Fusarium oxysporum causing the tomato wilt. Biotechnics, 22(3), 73-80. Epub February 10, 2021 .https: / / do¡.org / 10.18633 / biotecnia.v22¡3.952 Akpinar, I., Unal, M. & Sar, T. Potential antífungal effects of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) of different sizes against phytopathogenic Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. radicis-lycopersici (FORL) strains. SN Appl. Sci. 3, 506 (2021). https: / / do¡.org / 10.1007 / s42452-021 -04524-5 Azizi-Lalabadi, M., Garavand, F., y Mahdi-Jafari S., 2021, Incorporation of silver nanoparticles into active antimicrobial composites: Release behavior, analyzing techniques, applications and safety issues; Advances in Colloid and Inferíase Science Vol 293, Julio 2021 doi.org / 10.1016 / j.cis.2021.102440 Gorka, D. E. et al. (2015). Reducing environmental toxicity of silver nanoparticles through shape control. Environmental Science & technology, 49, 10093-10098], Gorczyca, A., Pociecha, E., Kasprowicz, M. et al. Effect of nanosilver in wheat seedlings and Fusarium culmorum culture systems. Eur J Plant Pathol 142, 251— 261 (2015). https: / / doi.org / 10.1007 / s10658-015-0608-9 QOCQnn / 77nZ / R / VIAI Kim, S. W., Jung, J. H„ Lamsal, K., Kim, Y. S., Min, J. S., & Lee, Y. S. 2012. Antifungal effects of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) against various plant pathogenic fungí. Mycobiology, 40(1): 53-58. Morones, J., Elechiguerra, J., Camacho, A., Holt, K., Kouri, J., Tapia-Ramírez, J. y Yacaman, M. (2005). The bactericidal effect of silver nanoparticles. Nanotechnology, 16, 2346-2353. Pryshchepa O, Pomastowski P, Buszewski B., Silver nanoparticles: Synthesis, investigation techniques, and properties, Advances in Colloid and Interface Science, Vol 284, 2020, doi.org / 10.1016 / j.cis.2020.102246. Summerell, B., Laurence, M., Liew, E., y Leslie, J. (2010). Biogeography and phylogeography of Fusarium: a review, Fungal Diversity. 44 (1), 3-13 Tarazona A., Gómez J. V., Mateo E., Jiménez M., Mateo F., Antifungal effect of engineered silver nanoparticles on phytopathogenic and toxigenic Fusarium spp. and their impact on mycotoxin accumulation, International Journal of Food Microbiology, Volume 306, 2019, doi.org / 10.1016 / j.ijfoodmicro.2019.108259 Tsehaye, H., Brurberg, M.B., Sundheim, L. et al. Natural occurrence of Fusarium species and fumonisin on maize grains in Ethiopia. Eur J Plant Pathol 147, 141-155 (2017). https: / / doi.org / 10.1007 / s10658-016-0987-6 Valenzuela-Salas et al 2021, New Protein-Coated Silver Nanoparticles: Characterization, Antitumor and Amoebicidal Activity, Antiproliferative Selectivity, Genotoxicity, and Biocompatibility Evaluation, Pharmaceutics 2021, 13, 65. https: / / do¡.org / 10.3390 / pharmaceutics13010065 .

Claims

1. Use of a formulation of silver nanoparticles coated with protein hydrolysate for the inhibition of the pathogenicity of the fungus Fusarium lacertarum.

2. The use of the silver nanoparticle formulation according to claim 1, wherein the formulation comprises 12 mg / mL of silver nanoparticles, 188 mg / mL of protein hydrolyzate and 800 mg / mL of distilled water.

3. The use of the silver nanoparticle formulation according to claim 2, wherein the formulation is used at a concentration of 1 mM for the inhibition of the pathogenicity of the fungus Fusarium lacertarum.