Green synthesis of nanoparticles has attracted considerable attention owing to its simplicity, cost-effectiveness, environmental sustainability, and broad biomedical applications. The rapid emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) necessitates the development of alternative antimicrobial strategies, among which nanoparticle-based therapeutics have shown significant promise. In the present study, ZnO NPs were biosynthesized using an extract of the macrofungus Serpula similis . Preliminary phytochemical screening revealed the presence of proteins, xanthoproteins, terpenoids, steroids, and cardiac glycosides, which are likely to facilitate nanoparticle reduction and stabilization. The biosynthesized ZnO NPs were comprehensively characterized using UV-Vis spectroscopy, FTIR, XRD, SEM-EDX, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM). UV-Vis spectroscopy exhibited a characteristic absorption peak at 360 nm, while FTIR confirmed the involvement of biomolecules in nanoparticle synthesis. XRD analysis revealed a crystalline hexagonal wurtzite ZnO structure with an average crystallite size of 8-20 nm, which was further confirmed by HR-TEM and selected area electron diffraction (SAED), demonstrating well-defined lattice fringes and high crystallinity. SEM analysis showed predominantly spherical to hemispherical nanoparticles with slight agglomeration, whereas EDX confirmed the elemental purity of ZnO. The biosynthesized ZnO NPs exhibited significant antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, with enhanced efficacy against S. aureus , and demonstrated potent antibiofilm activity against S. aureus and P. aeruginosa . The nanoparticles also exhibited moderate antioxidant activity in the DPPH assay, with maximum radical scavenging activity observed at 60 µg/mL. Cytocompatibility assessment using the MTT assay in L929 mouse fibroblasts revealed a concentration-dependent reduction in cell viability. Overall, the findings demonstrate that S. similis -mediated ZnO NPs possess promising antimicrobial and antibiofilm properties, highlighting their potential for antimicrobial applications while emphasizing the need for further optimization to improve cytocompatibility for biomedical use.
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Asha et al. (2026) studied this question.