Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles Using Diospyros malabarica Fruit Extract and Assessments of Their Antimicrobial, Anticancer and Catalytic Reduction of 4-Nitrophenol (4-NP)

Abstract

The green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) has currently been gaining wide applications in the medical field of nanomedicine. Green synthesis is one of the most effective procedures for the production of AgNPs. The Diospyros malabarica tree grown throughout India has been reported to have antioxidant and various therapeutic applications. In the context of this, we have investigated the fruit of Diospyros malabarica for the potential of forming AgNPs and analyzed its antibacterial and anticancer activity. We have developed a rapid, single-step, cost-effective and eco-friendly method for the synthesis of AgNPs using Diospyros malabarica aqueous fruit extract at room temperature. The AgNPs began to form just after the reaction was initiated. The formation and characterization of AgNPs were confirmed by UV-Vis spectrophotometry, XRD, FTIR, DLS, Zeta potential, FESEM, EDX, TEM and photoluminescence (PL) methods. The average size of AgNPs, in accordance with TEM results, was found to be 17.4 nm. The antibacterial activity of the silver nanoparticles against pathogenic microorganism strains of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli was confirmed by the well diffusion method and was found to inhibit the growth of the bacteria with an average zone of inhibition size of (8.4 ± 0.3 mm and 12.1 ± 0.5 mm) and (6.1 ± 0.7 mm and 13.1 ± 0.5 mm) at 500 and 1000 µg/mL concentrations of AgNPs, respectively. The anticancer effect of the AgNPs was confirmed by MTT assay using the U87-MG (human primary glioblastoma) cell line. The IC50 value was found to be 58.63 ± 5.74 μg/mL. The results showed that green synthesized AgNPs exhibited significant antimicrobial and anticancer potency. In addition, nitrophenols, which are regarded as priority pollutants by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), can also be catalytically reduced to less toxic aminophenols by utilizing synthesized AgNPs. As a model reaction, AgNPs are employed as a catalyst in the reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol, which is an intermediate for numerous analgesics and antipyretic drugs. Thus, the study is expected to help immensely in the pharmaceutical industries in developing antimicrobial drugs and/or as an anticancer drug, as well as in the cosmetic and food industries.

Green Metallic Nanoparticles: Biosynthesis to Applications

“…Two extracts of the gold nanoparticles showed photocatalytic activity by degrading 4-nitrophenol and p-nitroaniline into their corresponding aminoarenes (4-aminophenol and p-phenylenediamine) and rendering naturally coloured solutions (Rhodamine B and Sulforhodamine) into colorless solution in the presence of NaBH 4 as a catalyst ( Ramakrishna et al, 2016 ). Because of the additive action of nanosilver and the wide range of phytoconstituents with intrinsic antimicrobial capabilities, silver nanoparticles with exceptional stability and environmental friendliness can be easily manufactured from plant extracts and demonstrate a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activities, anticancer activities and catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol ( Bharadwaj et al, 2021 ). Nanoparticles synthesized using algae are enlisted in Table 4 .…”

Engineered Nanotechnology: An Effective Therapeutic Platform for the Chronic Cutaneous Wound

“…Engineered nanoparticles are gaining importance in different fields of science, engineering and medicine [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]. Skin, being the external lining of the body, is an effective barrier for preventing the infiltration of harmful biological and physical components and moderates water loss of the biological entity [ 8 ].…”

Acute oral toxicity assessment and anti-hyperuricemic activity of Alocasia longiloba extracts on Sprague-Dawley rats

“…SM’s also called phytochemicals include phenolic, flavonoids, tannins, and others. These important natural chemicals have been widely reported to have biological effects that are important for drug manufacturing ( Kabir et al, 2016 , Maher et al, 2021a , Maher et al, 2021b , Hazra et al, 2020 , Bharadwaj et al, 2021a , Bharadwaj et al, 2021b , Bharadwaj et al, 2021c ). In recent times, treating disease using plant-derived products has gained significant attention worldwide due to several reasons, including efficacy, availability, affordability, considered fewer/no side effects ( Mintah et al, 2019 , Abdulhafiz et al, 2020a , Mohammadi et al, 2020 , Mohammadi et al, 2022 , Roumeliotis et al, 2021 ).…”