The Effectiveness of Anti-Fungal Air Filter Coating with Endophytic Fungi Extract Against Airborne Fungi
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Abstract
BACKGROUND: Mold in the air may cause respiratory infections and worsen conditions in persons with weakened immune systems. Consequently, fungal contamination from the surrounding environment that inhibits pathogen development is not allowed in mycology laboratories. Due to this issue, an innovative portable air filter was created that reduces fungal contamination by coating the air filter with endophyte fungus extract.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effectiveness of an anti-fungal air filter coating with endophytic fungi extract against airborne fungi.
METHODS: An experimental study, comprising experimental and control groups. Experimental instruments included innovative petri dishes, culture media, transportable air filters, microscopes, and colors. The settle plate approach, which involves opening a plate of food and collecting the fungus, was evaluated in the lab to gather 25 areas. To extract natural products from endophytic fungi, the quantity and type of fungus in a portable air filter room with coating were compared with one without as natural products were extracted from endophytic fungi. Descriptive statistics were used to examine the data, which covers the period of 1 October 2022 to 30 September 2023, to determine the number, percentage, and type of fungus.
RESULTS: To extract natural products from endophytic fungus, the effectiveness of an innovative portable air filter was compared to its non-coated counterpart. Upon activating the machine, it achieved a maximum air filtration rate of 1,346.80 CMH/Hr. in 0, 10, 20, and 30 minutes. Next, by arranging 25 culture agar plates (SAD), 25 sample areas were collected. By identifying the type of fungus, it was found that the laboratory lacked a covering for extracting natural products from endophytic fungi containing 72, 20, 12, and 5 colonies, respectively: Penicillium spp., Alternaria spp., Aspergillus spp., Cladosporium spp., Mucor spp., and Rhizopus spp. In contrast, in the room in which a coating to extract natural substances from endophytic fungus was present, fungi were discovered to be present in 72, 1, 4, and 0 colonies, respectively. These included Penicillium spp., Alternaria spp., Aspergillus spp., Cladosporium spp., Mucor spp., and Rhizopus spp.
CONCLUSIONS: An air filtration rate of 1,346.8 CMH/Hr is the maximum capacity for investigating innovative mobile air filters. Endophytic fungi are extracted by coated air filters, which lowers the quantity and variety of fungal contamination.
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