A study on the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles from Olea europaea and its activity against oral pathogens

Abstract

Abstract Silver nanoparticles are applied in a variety of medical and non-medical fields due to their unique properties. Researchers are keen on synthesizing silver nanoparticles from biological sources as they are environmentally sound. Plants are a good option as they are abundant in nature and are rich in active metabolites that help in the reduction of silver ions. In this study, we have synthesized silver nanoparticles using olive fruit extract which were characterized by UV–visible spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), High Resolution Scanning Electron Microscopy (HR-SEM) and zeta potential analysis which confirmed the formation of spherical, nano-sized particles. The efficacy of synthesized silver nanoparticles against the growth and biofilm formation of major oral pathogens Streptococcus mutans and Candida albicans was demonstrated. The study revealed that olive fruit extract is an excellent producer of silver nanoparticles with potential activity against oral pathogens.