Synthesis of gold nanoparticles from different cellular fractions of Fusarium oxysporum.

The addition of varying concentrations of precursor gold salt to different cellular fractions of Fusarium oxysporum, viz., the culture filtrate and the intracellular extract obtained in the growing and resting phase of the cells had a profound influence on the size, shape, and state of aggregation of the nanoparticles. Multiply-twinned nanoparticles were obtained when the culture filtrate was used for synthesizing nanoparticles while mostly irregular shapes were obtained with the intracellular extract. The time taken for the formation of gold nanoparticles in the culture filtrate of resting cells was very less (< 30 min) while it took more than 8 h when the intracellular extract was used for synthesis of nanoparticles. There was a reduction in size of the nanoparticles with decreasing concentration of the gold salt from 1 mM to 0.05 mM. With the intracellular extract, the initial rate of increase in surface plasmon absorption maximum was linearly proportional to the initial concentration of the gold salt used. Gold nanoparticles were also obtained with the heat-inactivated culture filtrate which suggests alternatively the role of peptides and amino acids besides proteins in reducing and/or stabilizing the nanoparticles.