Biomimetic synthesis of functional silver nanoparticles using hairy roots of Panax ginseng for wheat pathogenic fungi treatment

[Display omitted] •Silver nanoparticles were synthesized using extracts of Panax ginseng cell cultures.•The biomolecules present in P. ginseng extract act as reducing and stabilizing agent.•The reduction activity of ginseng hairy roots was much higher than that of calli.•Synthesized nanoparticles exhibited high antifungal activity against FHB pathogens.•Biosynthesized nanoparticles provide surface sterilization of infected wheat kernels. Presently, multifunctional silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) show a rapid growth in various commercial applications, leading to increasing demand for new eco-friendly manufacturing technologies. An array of genetic engineering tools can be used to increase the yield in the production of AgNPs using various biological systems. The present study reports a green chemistry approach for the biological synthesis of AgNPs using extracts from non-transformed callus, rolC-transgenic callus and hairy roots of Panax ginseng and an evaluation of their efficacy against crop-damaging fungal pathogens. All types of ginseng cell lines promote the reduction of silver nitrate and formation of spherical AgNPs with an average diameter of 50–90 nm. Notably, hairy root extract possessed the maximal reduction potential among the studied cell lines probably due to higher secondary metabolite content. The biosynthesized nanoparticles were highly toxic against several wheat fungal pathogens including Fusarium graminearum, F. avenaceum, F. poae, and F. sporotrichioides, which are associated with fusarium head blight disease in cereals. Furthermore, the antifungal activity of nanosilver was successfully utilized for surface sterilization of infected wheat kernels without any negative effect on seed germination capability.