Investigation of biological activities of nanoparticles obtained by biosynthesis from some medicinal plants in galleria mellonella larvae

In this study, the biological activities of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) produced by green synthesis method using Lupinus albus, Datura inoxia and Ricinus communis seed extracts were investigated by microinjection into Galleria mellonella last instar larvae. The nanoparticles were characterized by SEM, FTIR, XRD and UV-Vis spectroscopy. In the study, it was determined that different concentrations of AgNPs caused significant changes in neurotoxic (AChE), detoxification (GST, Cyt P450) and oxidative stress (SOD, CAT, GPx) enzyme activities. In addition, nanoparticle exposure-induced changes were observed in phenoloxidase (PO) activity, apoptotic index, total and differential hemocyte counts, which are immune response indicators. These results suggest that AgNPs may modulate both antioxidant defense mechanisms and the immune system. G. mellonella was used as a model organism because it has similar immune system characteristics to mammals. The findings reveal that nanoparticles produced by green synthesis should be used in biomedical and environmental applications as well as their potential toxicological risks should be evaluated. In this context, it is recommended that interdisciplinary studies should be carried out for optimization and standardization of nanoparticle synthesis and biosafety assessments.