Title: Copper Nanoparticles by Rhodotorula diobovata as an antimicrobial agent against Antibiotic Resistance
Authors: Batool M. Ubed ,, Enas A. Bady , Ahmed A. A. Alsaad , Rafeef Amer Abdul-Jabar and Sabaa Ali Mohammed Al-Fadal
Volume: 9
Issue: 6
Pages: 12-28
Publication Date: 2025/06/28
Abstract:
Copper is a common metallic element due to its distinct chemical and physical properties. This research aimed to explore the ecologically sustainable, straightforward, and economical green synthesis of copper nanoparticles (Cu-NPs) using Rhodotorula diobovata Strain B2(c) and copper sulphate as starting material. The influence of the incubation time and the impact of biosynthesis Cu-NPs on bacterial and yeast growth were studied in this research. The direct and rapid formation of Cu-NPs occurs when Rhodotorula diobovata interacts with Cu+2 ions, which is visually noted by a change in color to dark bluish-green from light blue. FTIR, TEM, UV-Vis, DLS and zeta-potential, and EDX were utilized to characterize the structure, size, and shape of the produced CuNPs. The UV-Visible measurement revealed a peak of surface plasmon resonance at 606.5 and 622.5 nm due to the capping activity of Rhodotorula diobovata biomolecules in synthesizing Cu-NPs. Energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDX) revealed low-intensity peaks of phosphorus (P), calcium (Ca), and potassium (K) elements and high-intensity metallic peaks of sulfur (S), copper (Cu), and oxygen (O). According to FT-IR research, the presence of functional groups -OH, C=C, and C-H initiates the synthesis of Cu-NPs. The TEM investigations also showed that the size of particles ranged from 33 to 63 nm and had a globular form. DLS and zeta-potential analysis indicate that the particle sizes are 22.1 nm and 19.5 nm, and the zeta-potentials are -26.8 and -17.3, confirming the stability of the CuNPs. The antimicrbial activity of CuNPs against Staphylococcus aureus from diabetic foot infection and E. coli and Candida albicans from vaginal swabs was demonstrated. The produced Cu-NPs' hemolytic activity was comparable to that of the control Ringer solution.