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    The potential of fungi in the bioremediation of pharmaceutically active compounds : a comprehensive review
    (Frontiers Media SA, 2023-07-12) Amobonye, Ayodeji; Aruwa, Christiana E.; Aransiola, Sesan; Omame, John; Alabi, Toyin D.; Lalung, Japareng
    The ability of fungal species to produce a wide range of enzymes and metabolites, which act synergistically, makes them valuable tools in bioremediation, especially in the removal of pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) from contaminated environments. PhACs are compounds that have been specifically designed to treat or alter animal physiological conditions and they include antibiotics, analgesics, hormones, and steroids. Their detrimental effects on all life forms have become a source of public outcry due their persistent nature and their uncontrolled discharge into various wastewater effluents, hospital effluents, and surface waters. Studies have however shown that fungi have the necessary metabolic machinery to degrade PhACs in complex environments, such as soil and water, in addition they can be utilized in bioreactor systems to remove PhACs. In this regard, this review highlights fungal species with immense potential in the biodegradation of PhACs, their enzymatic arsenal as well as the probable mechanism of biodegradation. The challenges encumbering the real-time application of this promising bioremediative approach are also highlighted, as well as the areas of improvement and future perspective. In all, this paper points researchers to the fact that fungal bioremediation is a promising strategy for addressing the growing issue of pharmaceutical contamination in the environment and can help to mitigate the negative impacts on ecosystems and human health.
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    Fungi-templated silver nanoparticle composite: synthesis, characterization, and its applications
    (MDPI AG, 2023-02-06) Joy, Francis; Devasia, Jyothis; Nizam, Aatika; Veerappa Lakshmaiah, Vasantha; Krishna, Suresh Babu Naidu; Krishna, Suresh Babu Naidu; Anthony William, Coleman
    The self-assembly of nanoparticles on living bio-templates is a promising synthetic methodology adopted for synthesizing nano/microstructures with high efficiency. Therefore, the method of bio-templating offers various advantages in controlling the geometries of nano/microstructures, thereby increasing the efficiency of the synthesized material towards various functional applications. Herein, we utilized a filamentous fungus (Sclerotium rolfsii) as a soft bio-template to generate silver nanoparticle (AgNP) microtubules adhering to the fungal hyphae. The resulting composite combines the unique properties of silver nanoparticles with the biological activity of the fungi. The 3D fungal hyphae–silver nanoparticle (FH-AgNP) composite was characterized using SEM, elemental analysis, and the X-ray diffraction technique. Additionally, to highlight the functional application of the synthesized composite, dye degradation studies of methylene blue under visible light was effectuated, and a percentage degradation of 67.86% was obtained within 60 min, which highlights the potent catalytic activity of FH-AgNPs in dye degradation. Further, the antibacterial study of the composite was carried out against the bacterium Escherichia coli, and it was found that 200 µg of the composite exhibited maximum antibacterial properties against Gram positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram negative (Escherichia coli) bacteria. Overall, fungi-templated silver nanoparticle composites are a promising area of research due to their combination of biological activity and unique physical and chemical properties.