Ag Nanoparticle Green Synthesis using Litchi chinensis Peels Extract: Mutagenicity, Cytotoxicity, Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Activities Evaluation

In view of the promising therapeutic potential of AgNPs, in the present study, the cytotoxicity of AgNPs was evaluated against HepG2, which were prepared using Litchi chinensis peels (LCP) extract. The mutagenicity, antimicrobial and antioxidant activities were also evaluated. The AgNPs showed favorable antioxidant activity, i.e., total phenolic contents (TPC) (48.46 mg GAE/g DW), total flavonoid contents (TFC) (35.83 mg CE/g DW) and free radical scavenging (84.93% inhibition). The antibacterial activity was assessed against E. coli, B. subtilis, P. multocida, and S. aureus bacterial strains, which also revealed promising antibacterial activity. The FTIR analysis revealed the involvement of phytochemicals in the formation of AgNPs. The SEM analysis revealed the formation of semi-spherical particles with a tendency to aggregate, which was due to the interactions among biomolecules on the surface of particle. The AgNPs was in a face-centered cubic (FCC) crystal structure. The AgNPs showed no apparent toxicity against HepG2 cells. Additionally, mutagenicity was evaluated against S. typhi of TA98 and TA100 strains, which revealed the non-mutagenic nature of the AgNPs. The LCP-AgNPs demonstrated promising potential for biomedical applications.