Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles from Chlorophyllum molybdites: A multifunctional platform for antibacterial cloth development and colourimetric detection of L-Cysteine.

The continuous increase in multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria has limited the usage of antibiotics, creating an urgent need to discover the potential efficacy of alternative products. The present study investigates Chlorophyllum molybdites, a toxic mushroom that contains a diverse range of bioactive compounds. The study focuses on the morphological to molecular identification of mushrooms and evaluates the bioactive compounds and their antioxidant and antibacterial properties. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized using the green synthesis method, characterized by UV-Vis spectrophotometry, DLS, FTIR, XRD, TEM, and tested for their antibacterial properties against Salmonella typhi and Bacillus cereus. AgNPs demonstrated significantly improved antibacterial activity as compared to C. molybdites crude and broth-derived extract. The antibacterial activity of cloth-coated AgNPs was also confirmed, showing significant inhibition on both pathogens, and suggesting potential application in wound dressings and infection control. In addition, synthesized AgNPs exhibited high selectivity for L-cysteine hydrochloride among amino acids, indicating their utility as reliable colourimetric nanoprobes for cysteine detection. Furthermore, bioactive compounds in the crude and broth extracts were analysed using Orbitrap High-Resolution LC-MS, revealing major novel compounds including betaine, methylimidazoleacetic acid, L-norleucine, choline, DL-carnitine, hypoxanthine, hexadecanamide, and linoleoyl ethanolamide. This study opens a new avenue for the large-scale production of C. molybdites bioactive compounds, which may be valuable in future efforts to combat infections caused by MDR bacteria.