Green synthesis of Silver nanoparticles using Pyrenacantha volubilis fruit extract with potent Antibacterial, Antifungal, and Anticancer activities.

This study focused on the green synthesis and physicochemical characterization of silver nanoparticles synthesized using the fruit extract of the rare anticancer plant Pyrenacantha volubilis, followed by an assessment of their potential biological activities. The PV-Ag NPs were characterized using UV-Visible spectroscopy, FTIR, XRD, FESEM-EDS, TEM, and a particle size analyzer to determine their formation, size, crystallinity, morphology, elemental composition, and the involvement of phytochemicals in reduction, capping, and stabilization. The antibacterial potential of biosynthesized PV-Ag NPs was evaluated against five bacterial strains, with Pseudomonas aeruginosa showing the lowest MIC and MBC of 12.5 µg/mL and 25 µg/mL, respectively, followed by Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, and Bacillus subtilis. Antifungal activity was determined against four pathogenic fungal species, with Fusarium oxysporum showing the highest mycelial inhibition (37.78%), followed by Aspergillus flavus (37.50%), A. niger (27.78%), and F. solani (10.53%). Further, antiproliferative effects were evaluated against four cancer cell lines, including A549, Caco2, MCF7, and Pa-1, with IC₅₀ values of 662.46 µg/ml, 364.58 µg/ml, 399.26 µg/ml, and 288.75 µg/ml, respectively. Overall, our findings demonstrate the successful use of the fruit extract as a reducing agent to synthesize silver nanoparticles with promising biological activity, highlighting their potential for biomedical applications.