Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles with Antibacterial Activity Using Various Medicinal Plant Extracts: Morphology and Antibacterial Efficacy.

A green synthetic route for the production of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using five different aqueous plant extracts, namely, Berberis vulgaris, Brassica nigra, Capsella bursa-pastoris, Lavandula angustifolia and Origanum vulgare, was investigated in this study. The present work demonstrates the influence of plant extract composition (antioxidant and total phenolic content) on the size and morphology of the produced AgNPs. The biosynthetic procedure was rapid and simple and was easily monitored via colour changes and ultraviolet and visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy. Subsequently, measurement of zeta potential (ZP), photon cross-correlation spectroscopy (PCCS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and selected area electron diffraction (SAED) analysis were employed to characterise the as-synthesised nanoparticles. The XRD investigation confirmed the presence of Ag0 in the nanoparticles, and interactions between the bioactive compounds of the plants and the produced AgNPs were evident in the FTIR spectra. TEM indicated that the nanoparticles exhibited a bimodal size distribution, with the smaller particles being spherical and the larger having a truncated octahedron shape. In addition, the antimicrobial activity of the AgNPs was tested against five bacterial strains. All synthesised nanoparticles exhibited enhanced antimicrobial activity at a precursor concentration of 5 mM compared to the control substance, gentamicin sulphate, with the best results observed for AgNPs prepared with B. nigra and L. angustifolia extracts.

Biological activity of selected lichens and lichen-based Ag nanoparticles prepared by a green solid-state mechanochemical approach.

Lichens dispose a wide spectrum of bioactive compounds known as secondary metabolites. Their biological effects like antioxidant and antibacterial activities are widely studied. Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) is a method where the compounds/substances present in plants are used for reduction of AgNO3instead of toxic chemicals. However, this methodology is usually a two-step process (extract preparation step and the synthesis step) performed under the elevated temperatures nad in the case of lichens, the redicing compounds are insoluble in water. These disadvantages can be overcome by a solid-state mechanochemical synthesis applied in the present study. As microorganisms are becoming more resistant to commercial antibiotics, AgNPs prepared in an environmentally friendly way represent an interesting alternative. In the present study, we compared the processing of lichen material of Pseudevernia furfuracea and Lobaria pulmonaria for extraction as well as for synthesis of AgNPs, and tested the antibacterial and antioxidant activity of the extracts. Both selected lichen species could be successfully used as reducing agents to produce AgNPs. Six different bacterial strains were tested for antibacterial activity of AgNPs-containing products and it was highly effective on all strains. However, the antioxidant activity of lichen extracts showed the lowest effect even if AgNPs are present which positively correlated with the content of total phenols and flavonoids. Both phenols and flavonoids are natural antioxidants and react with silver nitrate. Due to this fact, we observed a decrease of total phenols, total flavonoids as well as antioxidant activity when processing of lichen extracts with silver nitrate was used. We demonstrated that the formation of AgNPs increased the antibacterial activity but on the other hand reduced the antioxidant activity. Thus, antibacterial and antioxidant effects have to be treated differentially.