Green synthesis and chemical characterization of silver nanoparticles from aqueous extract of Falcaria vulgaris leaves and assessment of their cytotoxicity and antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal and cutaneous wound healing properties

Abstract

Nanotechnology encompasses the understanding of the fundamental physics, biology, chemistry and technology of nanometre‐scale objects. In recent decades, nanotechnology has grown rapidly owing to its widespread application in science and industry. The aim of the work reported was the green synthesis and chemical characterization of silver nanoparticles from aqueous extract of Falcaria vulgaris leaves (AgNPs@Falcaria) and evaluation of their cytotoxicity and antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal and cutaneous wound healing effects under in vitro and in vivo conditions. These nanoparticles were characterized using Fourier transform infrared and UV–visible spectroscopies, scanning and transmission electron microscopies and atomic force microscopy. 2,2‐Diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl free radical scavenging experiments were conducted to evaluate the antioxidant potential, which indicated similar antioxidant potentials for AgNPs@Falcaria and butylated hydroxytoluene. The synthesized AgNPs@Falcaria had great cell viability dose‐dependently, indicating their non‐toxicity. Minimum inhibitory, minimum bactericidal and minimum fungicidal concentrations were determined by macro‐broth dilution assay. The data were analysed using SPSS software (Duncan post hoc test). AgNPs@Falcaria revealed higher antibacterial and antifungal activities than many standard antibiotics (p ≤ 0.01). Also, AgNPs@Falcaria prevented the growth of all bacteria at 2–8 mg ml−1 concentrations and removed them at 4–16 mg ml−1 concentrations (p ≤ 0.01). AgNPs@Falcaria inhibited the growth of all fungi at 2–4 mg ml−1 concentrations and destroyed them at 4–8 mg ml−1 concentrations (p ≤ 0.01). For in vivo experiments, after creating a cutaneous wound, rats were randomly divided into six groups: untreated control, treatment with eucerin basal ointment, treatment with 3% tetracycline ointment, treatment with 0.2% AgNO3 ointment, treatment with 0.2% F. vulgaris ointment and treatment with 0.2% AgNPs@Falcaria ointment. Use of AgNPs@Falcaria ointment in the treatment groups substantially decreased (p ≤ 0.01) the wound area, total cells, neutrophils and lymphocytes and markedly raised (p ≤ 0.01) wound contracture, hydroxyproline, hexosamine, hexuronic acid, fibrocytes and fibrocyte/fibroblast ratio compared to the other groups. In summary, the synthesized AgNPs@Falcaria revealed non‐cytotoxicity and antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal and cutaneous wound healing activities in a dose‐dependent manner.

Chemical characterization and anti‐hemolytic anemia potentials of tin nanoparticles synthesized by a green approach for bioremediation applications

“…In agreement with the current study, similar studies have shown that phenylhydrazine as an inflammation inducing agent reduces the concentration of anti-inflammatory cytokines and raises the concentration of pro-inflammatory cytokines in serum. [20,28] Both groups of SnNPs and Z. clinopodioides significantly (p ≤ 0.01) improved the levels of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines to near normal. The best results were observed in SnNPs-treated group.…”

“…The number of platelets and total WBC also decreased in the phenylhydrazine-treated group. [20,28] SnNPs and Z. clinopodioides ameliorated (p ≤ 0.01) the hematological parameters significantly, so they also significantly (p ≤ 0.01) reduced the number of nRBCs and enhanced the number of total WBC, monocyte, lymphocyte, eosinophil, neutrophil, basophil, RBC, platelet counts and other RBC parameters including Hb,…”

“…Similar to the present experiment, another study has indicated that consumption of metallic nanoparticles reduces significantly (p ≤ 0.01) the concentrations of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including IL-1β, IL-6, IFNY, and TNFα in comparison to untreated mice. [20]…”

“…[17] Specifically, it has been indicated that metallic nanoparticles have excellent antibacterial activities against Gram-positive andnegative bacteria, antifungal activities against Candida species, and antioxidant properties against free radicals such as 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) without any cytotoxicity potential against human normal cells (HUVECs). [20] Metallic nanoparticles have also been used for their anticancer properties against several cell lines such as human lung carcinoma cells (A549), human chronic myelogenous cells, human breast adenocarcinoma (MDAMB231), human colorectal adenocarcinoma cells, colon cancer cells (HCT-116), human breast adenocarcinoma cells (SKBR3), human breast adenocarcinoma (MCF7), human cervical adenocarcinoma cells (HeLa), and human liver cancer cells (HepG2). [21] In this regard, tin nanoparticles have a special role.…”

“…[1] It looks that the synthesis of tin nanoparticles using medicinal plants as a safe and suitable method for yielding of tin nanoparticles, raise the antioxidant, hematoprotective, and anti-hemolytic anemia potentials of them. [20,21] According to the hematoprotective and antihemolytic anemia effects of Z. clinopodioides and tin nanoparticles, we attempted to evaluate the properties of tin nanoparticles synthesized using Z. clinopodioides leaf aqueous extract (SnNPs) in the treatment of hemolytic anemia in an anemic mouse model.…”