Browsing by Author "Andrade Morales, Alba Cristina"

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    Compósito formado por Thymus vulgaris, nanopartículas de cobre y quitosano, como alternativa antifúngica sostenible contra Fusarium sp
    (Universidad de Cuenca, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, 2025-10-20) Andrade Morales, Alba Cristina; Cruzat Contreras, Christian Américo
    Fusarium sp. poses a critical threat to plant species; therefore, the present study evaluated the individual and combined antifungal efficacy of Thymus vulgaris essential oil (ThyEOS), copper nanoparticles (Cu-NPs), and chitosan (CH) against Fusarium sp. The Cu-NPs were synthesized via a solvothermal method and characterized through UV–Visible Spectroscopy (UV–Vis), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). The results revealed fine nanoparticles with an average size of 64 nm, exhibiting homogeneous distribution, predominantly spherical morphology, and localized agglomeration. ThyEOS was obtained via steam distillation, yielding a concentration of 180% w/v. Antifungal activity was assessed through agar dilution and checkerboard assays, determining the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC), the Fractional Inhibitory Concentration Index (FICI), and the Dose Reduction Index (DRI). The individual MICs were 800 ppm for ThyEOS, 1500 ppm for Cu-NPs, and 0.6% w/v for CH. The ThyEOS/Cu-NPs/CH composite exhibited a strong synergistic effect (FICI = 0.3125), achieving DRI values of 16 for CH and 4 for Cu-NPs. FTIR spectra of the Cu-NPs/CH and ThyEOS/Cu-NPs/CH composites showed band loss in the 1000 cm⁻¹ region, indicating structural interaction and thymol entrapment within the polymeric matrix. These findings support the use of the ThyEOS/Cu-NPs/CH composite as an effective antifungal alternative for the management of Fusarium sp.