Myco-Biosynthesis of Silver Nanoparticles, Optimization, Characterization, and In Silico Anticancer Activities by Molecular Docking Approach against Hepatic and Breast Cancer

Abstract

This study explored the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using the extracellular filtrate of Fusarium oxysporum as a reducing agent and evaluated their antitumor potential through in vitro and in silico approaches. The biosynthesis of AgNPs was monitored by visual observation of the color change and confirmed by UV–Vis spectroscopy, revealing a characteristic peak at 418 nm. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analyses showed spherical nanoparticles ranging from 6.53 to 21.84 nm in size, with stable colloidal behavior and a negative zeta potential of −15.5 mV. Selected area electron diffraction (SAED) confirmed the crystalline nature of the AgNPs, whereas energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) indicated the presence of elemental silver at 34.35%. A face-centered central composite design (FCCD) was employed to optimize the biosynthesis process, yielding a maximum AgNPs yield of 96.77 µg/mL under the optimized conditions. The antitumor efficacy of AgNPs against MCF-7 and HepG2 cancer cell lines was assessed, with IC50 values of 35.4 µg/mL and 7.6 µg/mL, respectively. Molecular docking revealed interactions between Ag metal and key amino acids of BCL-2 (B-cell lymphoma-2) and FGF19 (fibroblast growth factor 19), consistent with in vitro data. These findings highlight the potential of biologically derived AgNPs as promising therapeutic agents for cancer treatment and demonstrate the utility of these methods for understanding the reaction mechanisms and optimizing nanomaterial synthesis.