*3.4. Antifungal Activity of NCs*

Various concentrations of Cu-Chit/NCs hydrogels were used to study the inactivation of *A. flavus* mycelia growth. The antifungal activity of the synthesized Cu/NCs chit gel was assessed by measuring the radial growth of mycelium for all treatments (Figure 8). The highest mycelial growth inhibition was found at a concentration of 240 ppm followed by 180, 120, and 60 ppm concentrations of Cu-Chit/NCs hydrogel. The antifungal activity of Cu-Chit/NCs hydrogel did not increase with increasing concentrations ranging between 60 and 120 ppm, while the inactivation rate constant increases with the concentration of 240 ppm of the nanocomposite. The mycelial growth inhibition varies from 100% to 5.14% in different concentrations of prepared nanocomposites (Table 2).

**Figure 8.** Antifungal activity for different concentration of Cu-Chit/NCs gel (C1 = 60, C2 = 120, C3 = 180, and C4 = 240 ppm) against *A. flavus* isolated from feeds by the plate assay. All Petri dish treatments were incubated at 28 ◦C for one week.


**Table 2.** Antifungal activity of Cu-Chit/NCs gel against three *Aspergillus flavus* strains.
