Plant‐Mediated Fabrication of Silver Nanoparticles Using Elaeagnus angustifolia Flowers: In Vitro Evaluation of Antibacterial, Antifungal, Antioxidant, and Toxic Effects and Biomolecular Interactions With ct‐DNA and HSA

This study aimed to biosynthesize silver nanoparticles using Elaeagnus angustifolia flower buds —an Iranian medicinal plant extract rich in bioactive phytochemicals and evaluate their antimicrobial potential through complementary broth microdilution (MIC/MBC) and agar well diffusion assays, alongside an assessment of their anticancer and biomolecular interaction properties. The synthesis leverages natural reducing and capping agents (phenols, flavonoids, tannins) to produce stable, spherical AgNPs (FEA@AgNPs), characterized by UV–vis ( λ max = 439 nm), XRD (∼10 nm, face‐centered cubic), FESEM, TEM (6.61 nm), and FT‐IR. A zeta potential of −32.68 mV confirmed colloidal stability. The nanoparticles were stable for over a month, indicating that E. angustifolia flower aqueous extract is suitable for their preparation and stabilization. FEA@AgNPs showed moderate activity against S. aureus (12 vs. 24 mm for gentamicin) and no agar diffusion inhibition against E. coli , despite a MIC of 37.5 μg/mL in the broth assay. The antioxidant results show 55% DPPH radical scavenging at 160 μg/mL. Notably, they induced dose‐ and time‐dependent cytotoxicity in PC3 and AGS cancer cells, with IC 50 values of 7.49 and 5.33 μg/mL, respectively, after 72 h ( p < 0.05). Spectroscopic analyses revealed a strong binding affinity to calf thymus DNA and human serum albumin, suggesting biomolecular interaction capacity relevant to drug delivery. This work provides a green, efficient route to multifunctional AgNPs, bridging traditional herbal knowledge and bioinorganic nanomedicine for potential applications in infection control and oncology.