Green mycosynthesis of ZnO nanoparticles enhances antifungal defense against Fusarium equiseti through metabolic and gene expression modulation.

ABSTRACT: The soil borne phytopathogen Fusarium equiseti poses a significant threat to global crop production, with limited sustainable control options. In this study, zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) were green-synthesized using the extracellular filtrate of Trichoderma asperellum and characterized by SEM, XRD, FTIR, DLS, and Zeta potential apparatuses. The biosynthesized ZnO-NPs exhibited a quasi-spherical morphology with a size range of 13-19 nm, high crystallinity, and a stable negative zeta potential (- 27 mV). FTIR confirmed successful ZnO-NPs formation through the characteristic absorption band at 599 cm^-1. Antifungal assays revealed a concentration dependent inhibition of mycelial growth in two examined strains of F. equiseti, achieving maximum suppression of 72.41 ± 0.01 and 73

SUBMITTER: El-Morsy EM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12858691 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature