As the second wave of
COVID-19 hits South Asia, an increasing deadly complication '
fungal infections (such as Mycosis, Candida and Aspergillus) outbreak' has been raised concern about the insufficient technologies and medicals for its diagnosis and
therapy. Biosilica based nano-
therapy can be used for therapeutic efficacy, yet their direct role as
antibiotic agent with biocompatibility and stability remains unclear. Here, we report that a
diatomaceous earth (DE) framework
semiconductor composite conjugated DE and in-house synthesized
zinc oxide (DE-ZnO), as an
antibiotic agent for the enhancement of
antibiotic efficacy and persistence. We found that the DE-ZnO composite had enhanced
antibiotic activity against fungi (A. fumigatus) and Gram-negative bacteria (E. coli, S. enterica). The DE-ZnO composite provides enhancing large surface areas for enhancement of target pathogen binding affinity, as well as produces active
ions including
reactive oxygen species and
metal ion for breaking the cellular network of fungi and Gram-negative bacteria. Additionally, the toxicity of DE-ZnO with 3 time less amount of dosage is 6 times lower than the commercial SiO2-ZnO. Finally, a synergistic effect of DE-ZnO and existing
antifungal agents (
Itraconazole and
Amphotericin B) showed a better antifungal activity, which could be reduced the side effects due to the
antifungal agents overdose, than a single
antibiotic agent use. We envision that this DE-ZnO composite can be used to enhance
antibiotic activity and its persistence, with less-toxicity, biocompatibility and high stability against fungi and Gram-negative bacteria which could be a valuable candidate in medical science and industrial engineering.