Green Synthesis of β-Caryophyllene-Coated Silver Nanoparticles: Biophysical Characterization and Evaluation of Antibacterial, Cytotoxic, and Larvicidal Activities

The major challenge in modern parasitology is the development of safe and effective therapies for dengue fever. This study presents a simple method for the biological production of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) by β-caryophyllene. AgNPs exhibited a significant plasmon resonance at 420 nm, as confirmed by UV-visible spectroscopy. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy indicated the presence of various functional groups, while X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed the crystalline nature of the AgNPs. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed an average particle size of 3.2 nm, ranging from 5 to 100 nm. AgNPs showed no cytotoxicity against the L929 cell line, while, AgNPs exhibited anticancer activity in the HepG2 cell line, with an IC50 value of 51.71 µg/mL, indicating a potent anticancer effect. Furthermore, AgNPs displayed antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus epidermidis, Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, with zones of inhibition ranging from 10 ± 1 to 12 ± 1 mm using the disk diffusion method. In addition, AgNPs showed larvicidal activity against Aedes aegypti larvae, with LC50 and LC90 values of − 463.81 and − 357.56, respectively. These results suggest that AgNPs biosynthesized using β-caryophyllene are promising cost-effective agents for anticancer, antibacterial, and larval control applications.