Biogenic Silver Nanoparticles as a Sustainable Surrogate to Conventional Antibiotics: Synthesis, Characterization, and Mechanistic Insights into Antibacterial Activity
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64229/a9nb8m72Keywords:
Biogenic silver nanoparticles, Green synthesis, Antibiotic surrogate, Antimicrobial resistance, Reactive oxygen species, Nanotechnology-based therapeuticsAbstract
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) continues to compromise the effectiveness of existing therapies, highlighting the need for alternative antimicrobial agents. This study reports the green synthesis of biogenic silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using an aqueous plant extract as a natural reducing and stabilizing system. The synthesis was carried out using 1 mM AgNO₃ with a 1:4 (v/v) ratio of plant extract to metal precursor under controlled conditions (pH 8.0, 60 °C, 45 min). UV-Visible spectroscopy confirmed AgNP formation through a surface plasmon resonance peak at 420 nm, with a full width at half maximum indicative of narrow size distribution. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis identified functional groups associated with phytochemicals responsible for reduction and capping, while X-ray diffraction revealed characteristic Bragg reflections corresponding to crystalline face-centered cubic silver. Transmission electron microscopy showed predominantly spherical nanoparticles with a mean diameter of 15-25 nm, supported by a size-distribution histogram and a polydispersity index of 0.21, confirming moderate monodispersity.
The antimicrobial activity of the AgNPs was assessed against multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), yielding minimum inhibitory concentration values of 8-16 µg/mL. These results demonstrate notable antibacterial efficacy but are interpreted without comparison to conventional antibiotics in the absence of direct experimental data. Cytotoxicity evaluation on mammalian fibroblasts showed >80% cell viability at concentrations up to 20 µg/mL, indicating acceptable biocompatibility within the tested range.
Overall, the study establishes a well-characterized and environmentally sustainable route for AgNP synthesis and demonstrates their potential as supplementary antimicrobial agents in the context of rising AMR.
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