Spectral and cytotoxicity studies of hybrid silver nanoparticles in human lymphocytes

This study used Raman spectroscopy and genotoxicity/cytotoxicity assays to investigate the synthesized hybrid silver nanoparticles (Ag@LM/ICG NPs) and their effects on human lymphocytes. Raman spectroscopy was employed to obtain detailed chemical information on Ag@LM/ICG NPs and biochemical insights into untreated and Ag@LM/ICG NPs-treated lymphocytes. While average Raman spectra of NPs-treated cells showed no visible changes at the single-cell level, Raman mapping revealed a high background of some spectra, suggesting the presence of NPs within cells and/or NPs-induced cell structure alterations. Complementary cytotoxicity and genotoxicity assessments showed that Ag@LM/ICG NPs are non-cytotoxic and non-genotoxic to human lymphocytes at the tested concentration range, with cell viability exceeding 84%. These findings underscore the safety and potential of Ag@LM/ICG NPs as biocompatible agents for biomedical applications.