Potential application of Aspergillus terreus, as a biofactory, in extracellular fabrication of silver nanoparticles

•Silver nanoparticles were produced by mycelia extract of the fungus, Aspergillus terreus.•Effects of two fabrication parameters including, amount of mycelia extract (5–7 mL) and heating time (10–20 min) were investigated.•Sphere-shaped AgNPs were formed using optimum amount of A. terreus extract solution and heating time.•Antibacterial activity test demonstrated that the resulted AgNPs had bactericidal effects toward Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), due to their unique properties, such as high antimicrobial activity toward numerous microorganisms, have been widely used in various areas. In the present study, AgNPs were synthesized using mycelia extract of the Aspergillus terreus, a filamentous fungi strain with fast growth rate, under autoclave heating conditions (121 °C and 15 atm). Effects of two fabrication parameters including, amount of mycelia extract (5–7 mL) and heating time (10–20 min) on particle size of the fabricated AgNPs, as manifested in broad emission peak (λmax) of the solution containing AgNPs, were assessed. Obtained results shown that the formed sphere-shaped AgNPs using optimum amount of A. terreus extract solution (6 mL) and autoclave heating time (15 min), had λmax, particle size, polydispersity index and zeta potential values of 430 nm, 40 nm, 0.576 and + 0.7 mV, respectively. Furthermore, antibacterial activity of the resulted AgNPs indicated their high bactericidal effects toward Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus.