Investigation of the immune activities of silver (ag) nanoparticles obtained from citrus peel by green synthesis method in g. mellonella larvae

In this study, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized through green method using plant extracts obtained from lemon (Citrus limon) and orange (Citrus sinensis) peels, and their effects on selected immunological parameters in Galleria mellonella larvae were investigated. Dried citrus peels were ground and extracted with hot water, and the resulting extracts were mixed with silver sulfate solutions to achieve nanoparticle synthesis. The nanoparticles were characterized using FTIR, SEM, and XRD analyses. In biological experiments, late-stage G. mellonella larvae were injected with AgNP solutions derived from lemon and orange peels at concentrations of 50 ppm and 150 ppm. After 72 hours, hemolymph was collected from the larvae to measure total hemocyte counts and phenoloxidase enzyme activity. Applications of AgNPs synthesized from lemon peel extract showed a dose-dependent increase in total hemocyte counts compared to the control group. Similarly, AgNPs derived from orange peel extract also caused significant increases in hemocyte counts. Examination of phenoloxidase activity revealed a decrease at lower doses and a marked increase at higher doses in the lemon peel AgNP group, while the orange peel AgNP group exhibited significant increases at all doses compared to the control. This study demonstrates the biotechnological potential of citrus waste utilization and highlights G. mellonella as a suitable model for exploring nanoparticle–immune interactions in biological systems.