Abstract
Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized using hydroalcoholic extracts of dittany (Origanum dictamnus), sage (Salvia officinalis), sea buckthorn (Elaeagnus rhamnoides, syn. Hippophae rhamnoides), and calendula (Calendula officinalis) as reducing agents. AgNPs synthesized using NaBH4 and citric acid were used as control. The impact of the origin of the extract and preparation conditions (light, temperature, reaction time) on the properties of the synthesized AgNPs was investigated. The structure, morphology, composition, physicochemical characteristics, and colloidal stability were characterized using dynamic laser scattering (DLS), ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry (UV–/Vis), XRD, X-ray fluorescence (XRF), TEM, and FTΙR. The reduction of total phenolic and flavonoid content of the extracts after the reaction of AgNPs synthesis was also determined. Low IC50 values for all types of AgNPs revealed good antioxidant activity, attributable to the phenolic and flavonoid content of their surface. The results suggest that plant extract selection is important to the green synthesis of AgNPs because it affects the kinetics of their synthesis as well as their morphology, physicochemical characteristics, and colloidal stability. In vitro permeation studies on porcine skin revealed that AgNPs remained at the upper layers of stratum corneum and did not penetrate the skin barrier after 4 h of cutaneous application suggesting the safety of their application on intact skin for a relatively short time.
Highlights
Metallic nanoparticles have recently gained a lot of interest due to their unique physical and chemical properties [1]
The redshift observed in the case of AgNPs that are synthesized using extracts may be explained by the difference in their size, shape, and agglomeration status [22]
In order to investigate the impact of the plant extracts used as reducing agents to the physicochemical characteristics and properties of the synthesized AgNPs, we compared four plant extracts regarding their influence on the reaction conditions, characteristics, and colloidal stability of AgNPs
Summary
Metallic nanoparticles have recently gained a lot of interest due to their unique physical and chemical properties [1]. All the above has triggered the broad use of the AgNPs in pharmaceutical and cosmetic products, the food industry, etc. They are used in a wide variety of products such as creams, wound healing patches, and sprays for topical application [2]. They have been proposed as antimicrobial agents in cosmetics [4,5] and textile coatings [6]
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