article · Molecules
Silver nanoparticles can be biosynthesised using aqueous extracts from the medicinal plants Calendula officinalis and Hyssopus officinalis, functioning as both reducing and capping agents. Structural analysis through electron microscopy and energy-dispersive spectroscopy confirms the formation of spherical nano-objects. Particle size depends on the plant source, with Hyssopus extracts generating smaller nanoparticles averaging 16.8 nanometres compared to 35.7 nanometres for Calendula. In laboratory evaluations, these green-synthesised silver nanoparticles effectively neutralise free radicals and inhibit the growth of both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Furthermore, the antimicrobial activity of the engineered nanoparticles is substantially stronger than that of the original plant extracts alone. These findings highlight a low-toxicity, cost-effective green method for producing silver nanoparticles with robust antibacterial and antioxidant properties to address challenges associated with drug-resistant bacterial pathogens.
Bacterial resistance to standard treatments creates an urgent need for new antimicrobial solutions. Producing silver nanoparticles via green synthesis using common medicinal plant extracts offers an inexpensive, low-toxicity alternative to conventional chemical routes. Because these particles inhibit both Gram-positive and Gram-negative microbes more effectively than plant extracts alone, they represent a sustainable method for generating agents capable of tackling multi-drug-resistant infections.
This work is early-stage laboratory research demonstrating the in vitro antimicrobial and antioxidant efficacy of green-synthesised silver nanoparticles. The method could enable biotechnology and pharmaceutical developers to produce cost-effective, low-toxicity antibacterial agents targeting multi-drug-resistant bacteria. However, the findings are limited to disk diffusion and radical-scavenging assays, meaning further formulation, safety validation, and clinical or industrial testing are required before real-world commercial deployment can occur.
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Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) biosynthesized using aqueous medical plant extracts as reducing and capping agents show multiple applicability for bacterial problems. The aim of this study was to expand the boundaries on AgNPs using a novel, low-toxicity, and cost-effective alternative and green approach to the biosynthesis of metallic NPs using <i>Calendula officinalis (Calendula)</i> and <i>Hyssopus officinalis (Hyssopus)</i> aqueous extracts. The formation of AgNPs was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) techniques. The effectiveness of biosynthesized AgNPs in quenching free radicals and inhibiting the growth of Gram-positive and Gram-negative microorganisms was supported by in vitro antioxidant activity assay methods and using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion susceptibility test, respectively. The elucidated antimicrobial and antioxidative activities of medical plant extracts were compared with data from the engineered biosynthetic AgNPs. The antimicrobial effect of engineered AgNPs against selected test cultures was found to be substantially stronger than for plant extracts used for their synthesis. The analysis of AgNPs by TEM revealed the presence of spherical-shaped nano-objects. The size distribution of AgNPs was found to be plant-type-dependent. The smaller AgNPs were obtained with <i>Hyssopus</i> extract (with a size range of 16.8 ± 5.8 nm compared to 35.7 ± 4.8 nm from <i>Calendula</i> AgNPs). The AgNPs' presumably inherited biological functions of <i>Hyssopus</i> and <i>Calendula</i> medical plants can provide a platform to combat pathogenic bacteria in the era of multi-drug resistance.
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DOI: 10.3390/molecules27227700
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