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Most cases of nail fungus are caused by Candida organisms.<\/p>\nMost cases of nail fungus are caused by Candida organisms.<\/p>\n
And, sadly, they are becoming increasingly resistant to traditional antifungal medications.<\/p>\n
But there\u2019s a solution closer to home \u2014 literally.<\/p>\n
Because a new study published in BMC Biotechnology<\/em> reveals that the leaves of a couple of common citrus fruits can kill your nail fungus better than common medical creams.<\/p>\n The researchers used the leaves of two common citrus fruits \u2014 Citrus limon (lemon) and Citrus medica (citron) \u2014 to create a plant-based extract rich in natural compounds like flavonoids, alkaloids, and saponins.<\/p>\n Citrus leaves are already known to fight fungal growth.<\/p>\n Then, they used these leaf extracts in a process called green synthesis to create tiny silver particles, which they named citrusfusion silver nanoparticles.<\/p>\n Silver also has a long record of killing bacteria, viruses, and fungi, especially in its nano form.<\/p>\n The researchers wanted to make sure these tiny particles would be safe and effective, so they ran a series of tests.<\/p>\n To check for their safety on living organisms, they exposed mung bean plants and zebrafish to the particles.<\/p>\n The team then tested them against various strains of Candida to see how well they worked.<\/p>\n The results were impressive:<\/em><\/p>\n 2.\tThey worked at concentrations far lower than the most common antifungal drug, fluconazole.<\/p>\n 3.\tOne major reason nail fungus is hard to treat is because of biofilms\u2014a protective layer the fungus builds around itself. These particles reduced biofilm formation by 64% in C. albicans and 46\u201352% in other strains. Fluconazole didn\u2019t prevent biofilm formation at all.<\/p>\n 4.\tThe particles killed the organisms from the inside out. They damaged fungal cell walls, causing leakage of sugars and proteins. They also triggered oxidative stress inside the fungus, creating harmful molecules that the fungus couldn\u2019t defend against.<\/p>\n 5.\tThey were safe for living things, with no toxicity observed at any tested concentration on the mung bean plants and zebrafish.\n<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n If you’re struggling with nail fungus and current treatments aren’t working, this research offers a glimpse of what future treatments might look like.<\/p>\n But back to the present.<\/p>\n\n