In Silico Prediction and In Vitro Validation of Antibacterial and Antibiofilm Efficiency of Biofabricated Silver Nanoparticles Using <i>Terminalia bellirica</i> Leaf Extract

Abstract The accelerating rise of antimicrobial resistance demands innovative and sustainable therapeutic strategies. Terminalia bellirica has been reported to exhibit excellent medicinal properties specifically antimicrobial; hence this study explores the antibacterial and antibiofilm potential of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) synthesized using its leaf extract (TBL‐AgNPs). The biosynthesized nanoparticles were characterized using UV–vis, FTIR, DLS, FESEM, EDX, PXRD, and LC‐MS/MS, confirming their spherical morphology (∼17–20 nm), crystallinity, and phytochemical capping. In silico docking revealed strong interactions between key phytochemicals, especially arjungenin, luteolin, and rutin, with bacterial membrane proteins from E. coli, P. aeruginosa, S. aureus, and B. subtilis . Antibacterial activity was validated through disk diffusion and resazurin‐based MIC/MBC assays, with potent efficacy observed at sub‐microgram concentrations. TBL‐AgNPs significantly inhibited biofilm formation and exhibited dose‐dependent antioxidant activity with a maximum radical scavenging efficiency of 74.3% at 100 µg/mL. Cytotoxicity assays on HEK 293 cells demonstrated high biocompatibility, with 93.7% cell viability observed at 1 µg/mL, a concentration effective against all tested bacterial strains. These findings underscore the therapeutic promise of TBL‐AgNPs as eco‐friendly, biocompatible agents against multidrug‐resistant bacteria and biofilm‐associated infections.