## 3 Description of the State of Knowledge
### Antifungal Activity of Silver Nanoparticles against Candida Species
With the use of a scanning electron microscope and through the determination of the minimal biofilm eradication concentration (MBEC), it was also confirmed that the nanoparticles penetrated the preformed biofilm and eliminated the microbial cells. Moreover, the activity of AgNPs against _Candida_ species was tested in vivo in a mouse model of oral candidiasis. In this study, nanoparticles synthesized with the use of the green synthesis method using Eroidium glaucophyllum extract were used. The effect of the treatment was a significant reduction in candidal tissue invasion, fewer inflammatory changes, and no tissue modification [32]. Another in vivo study concerned AgNPs individually and combined with fluconazole. Activity was tested in a murine model of systemic candidiasis against _C. albicans_. The best results were obtained for combined treatment with AgNPs and fluconazole. This treatment reduced the fungal burden and increased the survival rate of infected mice [33]. Although the body of evidence for the anti-_Candida_ activity of AgNPs is limited, the nanoparticles show promising potential to be developed as antimyotic agents. Silver nanoparticles are also commonly tested against plant mycopathogens. Various fungi can cause crop destruction and, thus, large economic losses for farmers. They also reduce the quality of agricultural products used in everyday life, i.e., fruits, vegetables, and cereals. An obvious method for combating these pathogens is the use of various types of agrochemicals; however, they have a number of adverse side effects, i.e., environmental pollution, emergence of resistant pathogens, or impact on other organisms that are not the direct target of combating fungal contamination. _Fusarium_ species are one of the most widespread mycopathogens. These filamentous fungi from the _Ascomycata_ family, commonly found in the soil, can attack various plant species. Silver nanoparticles have been identified as potential antifungal agents against _F. oxysporum_, which attacks plant roots and causes widespread losses in tomato cultivation, and _F. g_s_ \(g\) \(s\) \(g\) _fusarium head blight (FHB) in cereal crops [34; 35; 36; 37]. FHB manifests itself as the partial or complete bleaching of a spikelet combined with glume discoloration. FHB, in addition to infecting plant parts, is associated with the production of the deoxynivalenol mycotoxin by _Fusarium_ spp. Therefore, firstly, it causes large quantitative and qualitative losses in crops and, secondly, it poses a threat to human and animal health after consuming grain containing this mycotoxin [38]. Another fungal pathogen used in tests of the antifungal activity of silver nanoparticles is _Trichospora asdini_, in which a significant growth-inhibiting effect was observed. The MIC concentration in this case was 0.5 \(\upmu\)g/mL, which was lower than that of the known antifungal agents, amphotericin B, 5-flucytosine, caspofungin, terbinafine, fluconazole, and itraconazole; they used the pathogenic fungi _Botrytis cinerea_, _Pilidium concarum_, and _Pestalotia_ sp. to assess the antifungal activity of AgNPs [39; 40]. They observed that the presence of nanoparticles inhibited the growth of the fungi and spore germination. For example, in the case of _B. cinerea_ spores, germination was completely inhibited in a culture containing 100 ppm of AgNPs. In turn, AgNPs synthesized by [PERSON] et al. [41] were analyzed against Rhizoctonia solani, which is a pathogen for several hundred plant species. Their results showed that AgNPs caused a reduction in the growth of R. solani. Moreover, [PERSON] et al. [42] reported that AgNPs inhibited the growth of _Aspergillus brasiliensis_, _Chaetomium globosum_, _Pencilillium pinophilum_, _Paceilomyces variotiii_, and _Trichoderma virens_.