Mycosynthesis and Characterization of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles from Shiitake Mushrooms (Lentinula edodes): Potential Antidiabetic, Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Efficacy

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) are widely used because they are affordable, reliable and easy to produce. They have special characteristics which render them useful in different medicines. Due to their health benefits, affordability and minimal impact on the environment, mushrooms are a highly favourable option for biomedical applications. In this study, we used a water-soluble component of a methanolic extract of Lentinula edodes to produce ZnO NPs. The biosynthetic approach utilized flavonoids, polyphenols and other constituents from L. edodes, which possess reduction and encapsulation capabilities, to transform metal ions into ZnO NPs. Various analytical methods, including UV-Vis, FTIR and SEM, have been used to characterize the biogenic ZnO NPs. The FTIR analysis identified the presence of the hydroxyl (OH) group based on the functional group observed at 3425.08 cm–1, moreover, the peaks observed at 1631.32 cm–1 indicated the presence of C=O carboxylic stretch bonds. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) demonstrated the presence of a porous shape with diameters of 35-200 nm. The biologically produced ZnO NPs showed promising antibacterial, antioxidant and antidiabetic properties. At specific concentrations, it showed strong antioxidant (70.51 ± 0.35%) and antidiabetic (82.36 ± 0.41%) effects, indicating that it could be used therapeutically for the treatment of diabetic conditions and could be suitable for incorporation into food and nutritional supplements.