ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Nanotechnol.
Sec. Nanomaterials
Volume 7 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fnano.2025.1569453
This article is part of the Research TopicMyconanotechnology for SustainabilityView all articles
Silicon Dioxide (SiO2) Nanoparticles Affect the Morphology, Sporulation, Mycotoxin Production, and Pathogenicity of Fusarium brachygibbosum Against Olive Trees
Provisionally accepted
Meryam Belhedi1
Besma Sghaier1,2*
Mario Masiello3
Haythem Nafati4
Stefania Somma3
Lucia Gambacorta3Rached Salhi5Mouna Messaoud6Sonia Labidi1
Antonio Moretti3
Sofiene B.M. Hammami1- 1Carthage University, Tunis, Tunisia
- 2Tunis Carthage University, La Soukra, Ariana, Tunisia
- 3Pisa Research Area, National Research Council (CNR), Pisa, Tuscany, Italy
- 4Tunis El Manar University, Tunis, Tunisia
- 5Université Grenoble Alpes, Saint Martin d'Hères, Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes, France
- 6National Engineering School of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia
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This study investigates the In Vitro antifungal activity of silicon dioxide nanoparticles (SiO₂ NPs) against mycotoxigenic Fusarium brachygibbosum species, a fungus posing a significant threat to olive trees in Tunisia. Two different doses of SiO₂ NPs (100 and 200 mg kg -1 ) were used to evaluate its effect on fungal growth, mycotoxin production, and virulence capability of tested F. brachygibbosum strain. While mycelial growth was not influenced by SiO₂ NPs, a notable increase in macroconidia sporulation was observed at the highest dose tested. Scanning electron microscopy revealed structural alterations in fungal hyphae treated with SiO₂ NPs, including hyphal disorganization after the adherence of nanoparticles. Furthermore, SiO₂ NPs influenced oxidative stress in Fusarium, with varying effects on hydrogen peroxide levels, total antioxidant activity, and total phenolic compounds, modulating the capability of the fungus to produce mycotoxins. Indeed, fusaric acid and 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol amounts decreased in presence of SiO₂, while an increasing level of neosolaniol and diacetoxyscirpenol was observed. Pathogenicity tests on olive and sorghum leaves revealed a reduction of disease severity in SiO₂ treated samples compared to untreated controls, showcasing the potential of SiO₂ NPs as a sustainable alternative for managing Fusarium infections. These findings underline the potential use of SiO₂ NPs as environmentally friendly and effective tool in integrated pest management strategies against Fusarium brachygibbosum as well as other Fusarium species occurring on olive trees. Further research is warranted to optimize their application and understand their interactions with both the pathogen and the host plant.
Keywords: Fusarium spp., Olea europaea, silicon dioxide nanoparticles, sporulation, Mycotoxins, Pathogenicity test
Received: 31 Jan 2025; Accepted: 10 Apr 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Belhedi, Sghaier, Masiello, Nafati, Somma, Gambacorta, Salhi, Messaoud, Labidi, Moretti and B.M. Hammami. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Besma Sghaier, Carthage University, Tunis, Tunisia
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