New nystatin polymeric complexes and their in vitro antifungal evaluation in a model study with Fusarium oxysporum.

Six water-soluble nystatin-polyvilnylpyrrolidone complexes with respective MW of 10 kDa (NC1), 25 kDa (NC2), 30 kDa (NC3), 40 kda (NC4), 90 kDa (NC5), 360 kDa (NC6) were synthesized. The activity of the complexes was compared with that of nystatin against growth and spore germination of Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. radiciscucumerinum. The ED50 value (effective dose) of free nystatin in aqueous solution on growth inhibition on solid medium was determined at 35.7 ppm. The ED50 of the complexes NC3, NC4, NC5, and NC6 ranged from 2.2 to 4 times lower than that of nystatin. The NC6 complex exhibited the highest activity, followed by NC5, NC4, and NC3. The activities of NC1 and NC2 were about 3 and 1.7 times higher than nystatin respectively in the same in vitro model. The complexes NC6. NC1 and NC4 were 25.4, 13.6 and 6.9 times more active respectively than nystatin against spore germination of E oxysporum. The activity of the nystatin complexes was dependent on the molecular weight of the polymeric carrier.