article · Applied Nanoscience
Silver nanoparticles biologically synthesised from Cola nitida pod extract enhance the antioxidant activity and phytochemical profile of Amaranthus caudatus. Cultivating this vegetable under different concentrations of green-synthesised silver nanoparticles revealed concentration-dependent effects on plant development and composition. Exposure to 150 parts per million caused a two-day germination delay, whereas lower concentrations did not hinder germination. Treatments at 25, 50, 75, and 100 parts per million notably increased antioxidant activity compared to water-treated controls, though antioxidant capacity diminished as nanoparticle concentrations increased. The 50 parts per million treatment demonstrated the strongest antioxidant potency, generating the lowest IC50 value alongside substantial increases of 68.19 per cent in phenolic content and 35.80 per cent in flavonoids. Within this treatment, kaempferol and quercetin were identified as the primary flavonoids, confirming that specific nanoparticle dosages can enhance the nutritional and phytochemical properties of cultivated vegetables.
Enhancing the nutritional value of leafy vegetables using bio-derived materials offers a sustainable way to improve dietary health benefits. Utilising agricultural by-products such as Cola nitida pods to synthesise nanoparticles avoids harmful chemical reagents. Identifying optimal nanoparticle concentrations ensures that crop nutritional qualities and antioxidant compounds are maximised without impeding early plant growth or seed germination.
This research could enable agricultural producers and agrochemical manufacturers to develop biologically derived nano-treatments that boost the nutritional quality of edible crops. Because the findings are limited to growth trials testing concentration ranges, the technology represents early-stage research that requires field evaluation, toxicity assessments, and scale-up testing before any commercial agricultural use.
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This study investigates the influence of different concentrations of AgNPs biologically synthesized using pod extract of Cola nitida on antioxidant activity, phenolic contents, flavonoid contents and compositions of Amaranthus caudatus L. AgNPs of 25, 50, 75, 100 and 150 ppm were utilized in growing A. caudatus while water was used as control. Delayed germination for two days was observed for A. caudatus grown with 150 ppm of AgNPs, while others showed no difference. There were 43.3, 38.7, 26.7 and 6.48% improvements in the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) antioxidant activity of A. caudatus grown with 25, 50, 75 and 100 ppm of AgNPs, respectively, compared to control. Antioxidant activity of A. caudatus grown with AgNPs reduced with increase in the concentrations of AgNPs. A. caudatus grown with 50 ppm of AgNPs was the most potent with the least IC 50 of 0.67 mg/ml. Significant improvements obtained for phenolic and flavonoid contents grown with AgNPs were concentration dependent. Enhancements of 21.9, 68.19, and 1.98% in phenolic contents were achieved in treatments with 25, 50 and 75 ppm AgNPs, respectively, while 32.58, 35.80, and 7.20% improvement in flavonoids were obtained for 25, 50 and 100 ppm treatments, respectively. Kaempferol and quercetin were the most abundant flavonoids in A. caudatus treated with 50 ppm of AgNPs, showing the highest flavonoid composition. This further confirms A. caudatus grown with 50 ppm of AgNPs as the most potent. This study has shown that concentration-dependent AgNPs can be used to boost antioxidant activity and phytochemical contents of vegetables.
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DOI: 10.1007/s13204-017-0546-2
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