Fabrication of mycogenic silver nanoparticles using endophytic fungal extract and their characterization, antibacterial and cytotoxic activities

Abstract The present work studied the characterization and bioactivities of the mycogenic silver nanoparticles (PRE-AgNPs) synthesized from the endophytic fungus Penicillium radiatolobatum. The maximum UV-spectrum absorption peak at 410-420 nm indicated the formation of PRE-AgNPs. The average zeta potential, size, and PDI of -22.2±0.8 mV, 72.04 nm, and 0.143 were found for PRE-AgNPs. The face-centered cubic crystal structure of PRE-AgNPs was indicated XRD analysis. TEM indicated the polydispersed and anisotropic structure of PRE-AgNPs with size ranged from 5.09-24.85 nm. FTIR evidenced the involvements of functional molecules from the PRE in the synthesis of PRE-AgNPs. The PRE-AgNPS inhibited the growth of Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella enterica higher than the Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli, and Listeria monocytogenes. Even the higher concentration of PRE-AgNPs (120µg/mL) did not show any cytotoxicity to HEK293 cells. But it caused significant cytotoxicity to the human lung carcinoma cell line (A549) with the IC50 of 19.67±3.09 µg/ mL through activation of ROS-induced cell death. Overall, this work proved the antibacterial and cytotoxicity activity of the PRE-AgNPs derived from P. radiatolobatum and which is deserved for the further molecular elucidation of bioactivities.