Abstract
In the present study, mace-mediated silver nanoparticles (mace-AgNPs) were synthesized, characterized, and evaluated against an array of pathogenic microorganisms. Mace, the arils of Myristica fragrans, are a rich source of several bioactive compounds, including polyphenols and aromatic compounds. During nano synthesis, the bioactive compounds in mace aqueous extracts serve as excellent bio reductants, stabilizers, and capping agents. The UV-VIS spectroscopy of the synthesized NPs showed an intense and broad SPR absorption peak at 456 nm. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) analysis showed the size with a Z average of 50 nm, while transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies depicted the round shape and small size of the NPs, which ranged between 5–28 nm. The peaks related to important functional groups, such as phenols, alcohols, carbonyl groups, amides, alkanes and alkenes, were obtained on a Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectrum. The peak at 3 keV on the energy dispersive X-ray spectrum (EDX) validated the presence of silver (Ag). Mace-silver nanoparticles exhibited potent antifungal and antibacterial activity against several pathogenic microorganisms. Additionally, the synthesized mace-AgNPs displayed an excellent cytotoxic effect against the human cervical cancer cell line. The mace-AgNPs demonstrated robust antibacterial, antifungal, and cytotoxic activity, indicating that the mace-AgNPs might be used in the agrochemical industry, pharmaceutical industry, and biomedical applications. However, future studies to understand its mode of action are needed.
Highlights
Nanotechnology research and development, and its applications in agriculture and medicine, is a contemporary and ongoing process
An aqueous extract was prepared by adding crushed reddish-brown arils of Myristica fragrans to distilled water
LSPR absorption peaks between 420 and 478 nm have been reported earlier in the AgNPs synthesized from nutmeg [41,42]
Summary
Nanotechnology research and development, and its applications in agriculture and medicine, is a contemporary and ongoing process. Green synthesis of NPs is known as phyto-fabrication, because it employs a variety of plant parts such as roots [12], stems [13], leaves [14], flowers [15], fruits [16,17], and seeds [18] for the fabrication, using different metals and their oxides. Singh and colleagues in 2010 [20] synthesized AgNPs from an aqueous leaf extract of Argimone maxicana They reported the rapid synthesis of NPs that were crystalline in nature and highly stable, measuring 15–30 nm in dimension and exhibiting strong inhibitory activity against bacterial test isolates. AgNPs synthesized from aqueous seed extracts of Cuscuta japonica exhibited potent antibacterial activity. The present study aimed to green-synthesize silver nanoparticles using the arils of M. fragrans and evaluate their cytotoxic and antimicrobial activity against a wide array of pathogenic microorganisms
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