Biogenic selenium nanoparticles with antifungal activity against the wood-rotting fungus Oligoporus pelliculosus .

Selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) have antimicrobial and antifungal activity. SeNPs using Se resistant bacteria is a low cost and eco-friendly technology. Fungal contamination of wood during drying is one of the main causes of economic losses in the wood industry. The bacterium sp. 5 resistance to Se and its ability to produce SeNPs able to inhibit the growth of the wood brown-rotting fungus was analyzed The strain showed an optimal SeNPs production when selenite concentration was 160 mg . The SeNPs were spherical with an average size 192.33 ± 8.6 nm and a zeta potential of -41.4 ± 1.3 nm. The SeNPs produced by sp. 5 (33.6 ± 0.1 mg Se) inhibited the growth of in agar plates and in (Lenga) wood samples. sp. 5 SeNPs could be used for embedding lenga wood prior to drying for preventing the growth of the deteriorating fungi .