Microwave-assisted green synthesis of Cordyceps militaris -derived silver nanoparticles and conjugation with salinomycin for the enhanced anticancer and antimicrobial activity

Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using extract of a medicinal mushroom Cordyceps militaris (C. militaris) has emerged as a promising alternative to conventional nanoparticle synthesis methods. In this study, microwave-assisted fungal-mediated biosynthesized AgNPs were conjugated with salinomycin (Sal), an anticancer compound with activity against cancer stem cell populations. The extract of C. militaris effectively mediated the reduction of silver ions, leading to the formation of AgNPs that exhibited a characteristic peak at 417 nm in the UV–visible spectrum. DLS, TEM, SEM-EDS and FTIR analysis verified the morphology, stability, and functional groups. The antibacterial activity of the AgNP, Sal, and Sal-AgNP was evaluated against E. coli and S. aureus. Additionally, the cytotoxicity was determined by MTT assay in L-929 and MCF-7 cell lines, revealing that the Sal-AgNP conjugate, substantially decreased cell viability compared with individual treatments, with a more noticeable cytotoxic effect observed in MCF-7 cell lines, indicating enhanced anticancer activity. The findings of Annexin V-PI double staining imply that conjugated AgNPs enhance irreversible cell death and salinomycin-induced apoptosis. Overall, salinomycin-conjugated AgNPs enhanced the observed antimicrobial and anticancer activities under the tested in vitro conditions, highlighting their potential as a promising nanotherapeutic platform that warrants further investigation in preclinical studies.