Abstract
In this work, water extracts from different bio-based products of plant origin were studied to evaluate their antioxidant capacity and their potential to form metal nanoparticles from aqueous solutions. Two traditional tests, the Folin–Ciocalteu assay and the DPPH radical scavenging capacity method were compared with a more recent one, SNPAC, based on the formation of silver nanoparticles. The silver nanoparticle antioxidant capacity method (SNPAC) was optimized for its application in the characterization of the extracts selected in this work; kinetic studies and extract concentration were also evaluated. The extracts were obtained from leaves of oak, eucalyptus, green tea, white and common thyme, white cedar, mint, rosemary, bay, lemon, and the seaweed Sargassum muticum. The results demonstrate that any of these three methods can be used as a quick test to identify an extract to be employed for nanoparticle formation. Additionally, we studied the synthesis of Cu, Fe, Pb, Ni, and Ag nanoparticles using eucalyptus extracts demonstrating the efficiency of this plant extract to form metallic nanoparticles from aqueous metal salt solutions. Metal nanoparticles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering techniques.
Highlights
Published: 25 June 2021The U.S Environmental Protection Agency define Nanotechnology as the research and control of matter with a scale between 1 and 100 nm, and the creation and use of structures with novel properties coming from their small size [1]
We investigated the antioxidant capacity of plant extracts obtained from oak, eucalyptus, green tea, white thyme, common thyme, white cedar, mint, rosemary, bay and lemon leaves, and the seaweed
Bio-based products used in this study were collected in Galicia (North-West of Spain) except common and white thyme, which were collected in Argañín de Sayago (Arribes del Duero, Zamora, Middle-West of Spain)
Summary
Published: 25 June 2021The U.S Environmental Protection Agency define Nanotechnology as the research and control of matter with a scale between 1 and 100 nm, and the creation and use of structures with novel properties coming from their small size [1]. The small size of the nanoparticles (NPs) results in large surface areas, high reactivity, and the tunable nature of their properties. Those facts favor the application of manufactured NPs in many areas of knowledge such as medicine, cosmetics, food, paints, electronics, and environmental remediation [2,3,4]. One of the most common methods of NP synthesis, in particular for metallic NPs, is the reduction of metal salts in solution. Synthesis of monodisperse NPs requires control over the parameters affecting the growth rate of the NPs, e.g., concentration of metal salts, viscosity of solvent, and strength of reducing agents. Other techniques such as UV irradiation, lithography, or photochemical reduction
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