Phytochemical analysis and biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles from aqueous extract of seeds of Sesamum indicum

Abstract

Plants have been in use in medicine from time immemorial. Sesamum indicum, an ancient seed crop, has been widely used mainly for its oil. It is regarded as highly beneficial for its nutritive value and therapeutic effect. It is known to have anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, analgesic and many other pharmacological activities. In this study, seeds of S. indicum were subjected to aqueous extraction followed by evaluation for the presence of phytochemical constituents. The aqueous extract of seeds of S. indicum after phytochemical testing, was found to contain alkaloids, phenols, steroids, flavonoids, diterpenes, glycosides and tannins. Following this, silver nanoparticles were biosynthesised from the extract, where the phytochemicals acted as reducing and capping agents for the nanoparticles formed. The synthesised nanoparticles were characterised by using UV-visible spectroscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The synthesis of nanoparticles from plant extract is gaining importance now-a-days owing to the effectual activity elicited by them when compared to activity of plant compounds alone.

Keywords

• sesamum indicum
• phytochemicals
• silver nanoparticles