ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Green biosynthesized silver nanoparticles from Helichrysum arenarium: characterization, antimicrobial efficacy, cancer cell selectivity, and zebrafish toxicity

Aybek Yiğit, Mine Köktürk, Dilek Nazli, Ayşe Karacalı Tunç, Aslı Yıldırım Kocaman, Gunes Ozhan, Ibrahim Demirtas, and Dilara Öztürk

Department of Pharmacy Services, Tuzluca Vocational School, Igdir University, Igdir, Turkey

E-mail: aybek.yigit@igdir.edu.tr

Received: 11 January 2026  Accepted: 24 March 2026

Abstract:

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have interest in biomedical research because of their antimicrobial and anticancer activities. In the present study, AgNPs were synthesized using green synthesis by Helichrysum arenarium (HA) flower extract. The average particle size of HA-AgNPs was 9.96 ± 0.39 nm and mainly displayed a spherical morphology. Characterization analyses verified the crystalline structure and high silver content. The existence of plant-derived biomolecules on the nanoparticle surface was confirmed with FT-IR analysis. The biological effects of HA-AgNPs were evaluated using both in vitro and in vivo techniques. After nanoparticle exposure, zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos and larvae exhibited dose-dependent developmental abnormalities, including reduced hatching rates, increased mortality, and weaker sensorimotor responses. Cytotoxicity assays demonstrated antiproliferative effects against liver (HEPG2) and colon (HT29) cancer cell lines, while HUVEC cells exhibited comparatively lower sensitivity to HA-AgNPs treatment. In addition, the HA-AgNPs exhibited antibacterial activity against S. aureus (9 ± 1 mm), P. aeruginosa (9 ± 0.5 mm), E. coli (10 ± 1 mm), E. faecalis (5 ± 0.1 mm), and K. pneumoniae (5 ± 0.1 mm). Biofilm formation was inhibited by 77 ± 1% for E. faecalis, 88 ± 1% for E. coli and P. aeruginosa, 85 ± 1% for S. aureus, and 87 ± 1% for K. pneumoniae. The results suggest that HA-AgNPs possess promising antimicrobial and anticancer properties, while emphasizing the need for careful toxicity evaluation in biomedical applications.

Keywords: Antimicrobial; Biofilm inhibition; Cytotoxicity; Cancer therapy; Helichrysum arenarium; Green synthesis; Nanoparticles; Zebrafish

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1007/s11696-026-04842-1

Chemical Papers 80 (7) 7647–7663 (2026)