Characterization of Talaromyces islandicus–mediated silver nanoparticles and evaluation of their antibacterial and anticancer potential

Abstract

The biosynthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have been reported to possess several therapeutic applications. Silver is one of the important metals known for its bioactive properties not only as macromolecule but also as nanoparticle (NP). The current research focused on the eco-friendly synthesis of Talaromyces islandicus VSGF1(Lab code) -mediated AgNPs. The aqueous culture filtrate of T. islandicus VSGF1 was used as a reducing agent. The formation of AgNPs was confirmed by observing the color change from colorless to colloidal earthy-colored and a sharp absorption peak of ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy at 400 nm. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy revealed the involvement of various functional groups for the formation and stabilization of AgNPs. The structure, size, and shape of mycosynthesized AgNPs were identified by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis. The XRD analysis exhibited crystalline nature of NPs whereas AFM analysis revealed the spherical shape of AgNP with average size range between 13 and 66 nm. The antibacterial activity of AgNPs (50 μg/ml) investigated against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria revealed maximum zone of inhibition (ZOI) against drug-resistant Enterococcus faecalis MTCC439 (18.66 ± 0.57 mm) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa MTCC96 (16 ± 0 mm) followed by Staphylococcus aureus MTCC96 (15.33 ± 0.57 mm), Bacillus subtilis MTCC441 (14.66 ± 0.57 mm), and Escherichia coli MTCC45 (14.66 ± 0.57 mm). Further, the AgNPs evaluated for antitumor activity against human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cell line exhibited promising result with half-maximal inhibitory concentration (MIC) value at 38.17 μg/ml concentration through MTT (methylthiazolyl tetrazolium assay) assay. Apparently, this is the first report from T. islandicus to the best of our knowledge.