Synthesis of silver nanoparticle stabilised with pennisetum purpureum leave extract and determination of its antimicrobial activities

Abstract

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have attracted great attention due to their outstanding electrical, optical, magnetic, catalytic, and antimicrobial properties. However, there is a need for alternative production methods that use fewer toxic precursors and reduce their undesirable by-products. Plant extracts from the leaves of Pennisetum Purpureum plants can be used as reducing agents as well as enhance AgNPs antimicrobial activity. In the present study, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized using aqueous leaf extracts of Pennisetum Purpureum. The obtained AgNPs were studied for their optical, structural, surface morphological and antimicrobial properties. The prepared AgNPs were characterized by using UVVisible spectra, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) and Powder X-ray diffractometer (PXRD). The synthesized nanoparticles were quasi spherically shaped and well-dispersed with average sizes ranging from 29.70 ± 9.71nm from SEM image. The AgNPs derived from Pennisetum Purpureum exhibited antibacterial activity against seven bacterial (Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (NCTC 12493), E. coli (NCTC 12241), S. mutants (ATCC 700610), P. aeruginosa (ATCC 4853), S. typhi (ATCC 14028), K. pneumonia (NCTC13440) and, B. subtilis (ATCC 10004)) and one fungal (Candida albicans (ATCC 90028)) pathogens of the human compared to the crude extracts. This indicates that the biomolecules covering the nanoparticles may enhance the biological activity of metal nanoparticles. Hence, our results support that synthesis of AgNPs using Pennisetum Purpureum leaf extract constitutes a potential area of interest for the therapeutic management of microbial diseases. These observation on nanoparticle production using plant-mediated synthesis and performance offers insights into the potential for scaling up this production process for economic commercial implementation.