Table 3.

Antifungal activity demonstrated by inhibition zone (mm), minimum inhibitory concentration (μg ml⁻¹) and minimum fungicidal concentration (μg ml⁻¹) caused by the chemically produced selenium nanoparticles (Che-SeNPs) compared to selenium nanoparticles synthesized by Lactobacillus paracasei HM1 (LAB-SeNPs) at different concentrations against some pathogenic Candida and Fusarium species.

Fungal strains	Che-SeNPs Concentration (μg ml−1)					LAB-SeNPs Concentration (μg ml−1)					Che		LAB
	15	30	45	60	75	15	30	45	60	75	MIC	MFC	MIC	MFC
C. albicans ATCC 4862	17 ± 0.2aD	19 ± 0.4aD	22 ± 0.3aC	25 ± 0.4aB	27 ± 0.2aAB	23 ± 0.2aC	25 ± 0.5aB	26 ± 0.2aB	27 ± 0.3aAB	29 ± 0.1aA	55d	95de	55bc	100c
C. parapsilosis ATCC 22019	16 ± 0.3abE	18 ± 0.3abD	20 ± 0.1bD	22 ± 0.1bC	25 ± 0.6abB	22 ± 0.4aC	24 ± 0.2aB	25 ± 0.4aB	26 ± 0.4abAB	27 ± 0.5abA	65bc	120d	60b	105c
C. krusei ATCC 14243	13 ± 0.5cE	17 ± 0.3bD	19 ± 0.4bC	21 ± 0.5bB	24 ± 0.6bAB	19 ± 0.6bC	20 ± 0.3bC	22 ± 0.2bB	24 ± 0.5bAB	25 ± 0.3bA	75b	135bc	70a	120b
C. glabrata ATCC 64677	12 ± 0.4cdF	15 ± 0.2cE	17 ± 0.4cC	20 ± 0.1bcB	22 ± 0.5cAB	17 ± 0.8bcC	18 ± 0.4bcC	20 ± 0.4bcB	22 ± 0.8cAB	23 ± 0.4bcA	85a	150a	65ab	110bc
C. tropicalis ATCC 66029	13 ± 0.3cE	16 ± 0.5bcD	18 ± 0.5bcC	21 ± 0.4bB	23 ± 0.4cAB	18 ± 0.7bC	19 ± 0.2bC	21 ± 0.5bcB	23 ± 0.5bcAB	24 ± 0.5bcA	80ab	140b	70a	130a
F. oxysporum ATCC 62506	14 ± 0.5cF	17 ± 0.4bE	19 ± 0.3bD	22 ± 0.3bC	24 ± 0.5bB	16 ± 0.8cE	19 ± 0.3bD	22 ± 0.6bC	24 ± 0.5bB	26 ± 0.2abA	70b	130c	50c	90d
F. solani ATCC 38341	16 ± 0.6abF	19 ± 0.2aE	21 ± 0.5aDE	23 ± 0.3abD	26 ± 0.8abC	18 ± 0.7bE	22 ± 0.2abD	25 ± 0.5aC	27 ± 0.4aB	29 ± 0.3aA	60c	100de	45c	80de

MIC, minimum inhibitory concentration; MFC, minimum fungicidal concentration. Values are means of 3 independent replicates for each experiment (means ± SD). Values with the same lower or upper case letter within a column or a row, respectively, are not significantly (P > 0.05) different according to Fisher's Protected LSD Test.