Bio-fabrication of silver nanoparticles using Commelina erecta, L.: a mechanistic approach on synthesis, optimization, antibacterial, and antioxidant potential

Abstract

The ongoing exploration of economical, sustainable, and environment-friendly methods for synthesizing monodisperse colloidal metal nanoparticles is growing day by day due to their potential application in various fields. The use of plant derivatives in nanoparticle synthesis and their suitability as sustainable catalysts have emerged as significant areas of research. In this study, silver nanoparticles were synthesized using an aqueous extract obtained from the commonly found weed Commelina erecta, L. Extensive study is conducted to optimize various synthesis parameters such as pH, reducing agent concentration, silver nitrate concentration, and temperature. The plant extract utilized in the synthesis process contained variety of antioxidants, including malic acid, phenol, benzoic acid, and catechol, which played a crucial role in both reduction and capping during the synthesis process, thereby making them suitable for biomedical applications. The optimized synthesis process yielded silver nanoparticles with a particle size of 16.2 +/- 3.1 nm. These nanoparticles exhibited excellent stability and demonstrated remarkable antibacterial activity compared to the standard antibacterial agent, streptomycin. In addition, the silver nanoparticles displayed promising antioxidant activity attributed to the presence of antioxidant functional groups on their surface. This study reports, for the first time, the synthesis of silver nanoparticles using antioxidant compounds present in C. erecta, L. plant extract. The antioxidant compounds identified through GC-MS belong to phenols, phenolic acids, and carboxylic acid groups. Furthermore, the exceptional antimicrobial and antioxidant properties exhibited by the synthesized silver nanoparticles offer new possibilities for their potential applications.