article · ChemistrySelect
Plant extracts from Lophira alata and Burkea africana can serve as natural reducing agents to synthesise spherical silver nanoparticles ranging from 10 to 50 nanometres in size. Tests confirm that nanoparticles prepared with Lophira alata exhibit antibacterial zones of inhibition against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Nanoparticles made with Burkea africana outperform the antibiotic chloramphenicol in suppressing Bacillus subtilis, achieving lower minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations. Both types of nanoparticles suppress cellulase activity by 90 percent and pectinase activity by 87 percent, addressing two key enzymes associated with vegetable spoilage. Computational simulations show narrow energy gaps that reflect high chemical reactivity, alongside non-covalent interactions and strong binding affinities with plant compounds such as lophirone, betulinic acid, and fisetinidol that keep the nanoparticles stable.
Fresh vegetables spoil rapidly because of bacterial contamination and plant-degrading enzymes such as cellulase and pectinase. Green synthesis offers a sustainable way to create antimicrobial silver nanoparticles using plant extracts instead of hazardous chemicals. Demonstrating that these materials can suppress food-spoiling microbes and enzymes provides a foundation for safer, eco-friendly strategies to extend the shelf life of fresh produce.
The primary commercial application indicated is vegetable preservation, which could interest fresh produce distributors, post-harvest processors, and food packaging developers looking for eco-friendly shelf-life extenders. Because the reported findings are restricted to laboratory synthesis, in vitro antimicrobial and enzyme assays, and computational modelling, the technology is at an early research stage and requires practical testing on actual food products before real-world adoption.
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Abstract The green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using Lophira alata (LA) and Burkea africana (BA) extracts offers a sustainable approach for antimicrobial vegetable preservation. Phytochemicals like polyphenols and flavonoids act as reducing agents, with UV‐vis spectroscopy confirming AgNP formation (peak at 420 nm). XRD revealed crystallite sizes of 13.66 nm (LA‐AgNPs) and 8.78 nm (BA‐AgNPs), while TEM showed spherical particles (10–50 nm). LA‐AgNPs exhibited strong antibacterial activity, with inhibition zones of 14.45 mm (Staphylococcus aureus) and 13.55 mm (Pseudomonas aeruginosa). BA‐AgNPs showed the lowest MIC against Bacillus subtilis (3.45 µg/mL vs. chloramphenicol’s 5.72 µg/mL) and superior bactericidal effects (MBC: 6.90 µg/mL vs. 11.44 µg/mL). Both AgNPs inhibited cellulase (90%) and pectinase (87%), crucial for extending vegetable shelf life. Quantum computational analysis revealed optimal energy gaps (LA‐AgNPs: 0.88 eV; BA‐AgNPs: 0.76 eV), indicating high reactivity. Non‐covalent interaction (NCI) analysis confirmed stabilization via van der Waals forces and hydrogen bonding. Adsorption studies highlighted strong binding energies (−1.51 to −2.52 eV) for key phytocompounds (Lophirone, Betulinic acid, Fisetinidol), ensuring nanoparticle stability. These findings demonstrate the potential of LA‐ and BA‐AgNPs as eco‐friendly antimicrobial agents for food preservation.
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DOI: 10.1002/slct.202500164
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