Investigation of mycosynthesized silver nanoparticles by the mushroom Pleurotus eryngii in biomedical applications.

The mycosynthesis of nanoparticles using mushroom is a promising and innovative approach to Biogenic Sustainable Nanotechnology. In this study, mycosynthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) was carried out using an edible mushroom extract of Pleurotus eryngii (Pe). AgNPs were characterized by ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV–vis), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) analyses. UV–vis analysis exhibited an absorption peak at 415 nm, which corresponds to the surface plasmon resonance of AgNPs. FT-IR and XRD revealed the presence of bioactive components and face-centered cubic structure in synthesis. SEM and EDX analyze confirmed that the AgNPs were spherical and 10–45 nm in size, and the presence of strong signals from silver metal. The therapeutic properties of AgNPs were tested by DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) damage, antioxidant (2,2′-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method), and lipid peroxidation (LPO) assays. Biosynthesized AgNPs were found to restore DNA damage at concentrations of 50 and 75 µg/mL. The highest DPPH radical scavenging activity of AgNPs was recorded as 89.44% at 400 µg/mL and was more effective than Pe extract. AgNPs demonstrated potent activity in inhibiting LPO with a percentage of 88.38% at a concentration of 300 μg/mL. The biological activity of AgNPs was found to be concentration dependent and had more activity than the Pe extract. The obtained results predict that the mycosynthesis method is less toxic, cost-effective and environmentally friendly, and the AgNPs produced will contribute to the development of new-generation drugs in the fields of biomedicine and pharmacology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]