Biosynthesis and investigation of antibacterial properties of green silver nanoparticles using fruit extracts of Wild barberry, Medlar (Mespilus germanica L.), and Hawthorn

Abstract

The biological method of synthesizing nanoparticles is a valuable alternative to traditional chemical synthesis methods, offering a fast, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective technique. In this study, the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) was carried out using fruit extracts of Wild barberry (Bar-Ag), Medlar (Mespilus germanica L.) (Med-Ag), and Hawthorn (Haw-Ag) as reducing and stabilizing agents. AgNPs were characterized by various analysis methods, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV–vis spectroscopy, Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), and Dynamic Light Diffraction (DLS). The XRD results showed the presence of pure silver crystals with average sizes of 35.6, 23.7, and 35.6 nm for Bar-Ag, Med-Ag, and Haw-Ag, respectively. FESEM and TEM images illustrated the formation of nearly spherical and stable particles with sizes ranging from 30 to 80 nm. In addition to confirming the particle sizes, the DLS result indicated their uniform distribution. FTIR analysis revealed that AgNPs contain three main groups of agents: phenols, carboxylic acids, and amines, which play a role in the synthesis of nanoparticles. Evaluating the antibacterial activity against Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) bacteria showed that AgNPs synthesized with these fruit extracts exhibited significant antibacterial performance. The results of this study demonstrate that AgNPs biosynthesized with fruit extracts have considerable potential for biomedical applications.

Keywords

• Wild barberry
• Medlar (Mespilus germanica L.)
• Hawthorn
• Green synthesis
• Biosynthesis