Green One-Step Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles Obtained from Schinus areira Leaf Extract: Characterization and Antibacterial Mechanism Analysis

FERREYRA MAILLARD, ANIKE P.V.; BORDÓN, ANAHI; CUTRO, ANDREA C.; DALMASSO, PABLO R.; HOLLMANN, AXEL

APPLIED BIOCHEMISTRY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY

HUMANA PRESS INC

Lugar: Oregon; Año: 2023

0273-2289

The increased emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is a serious health problem worldwide. In this sense, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have received increasing attention fortheir antimicrobial activity. In this context, the goal of this study was to produce AgNPs bya green synthesis protocol using an aqueous leaf extract of Schinus areira as biocompositeto later characterize their antimicrobial action. The nanomaterials obtained were characterized by UV‒vis spectroscopy, DLS, TEM, and Raman, confirming the presence of quasispherical AgNPs with a negative surface charge and diameter around 11 nm. Afterward,the minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentration of the AgNPs against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli were obtained, showing high antibacterial activity. In bothof the examined bacteria, the AgNPs were able to raise intracellular ROS levels. In E. coli,the AgNPs can harm the bacterial membrane as well. Overall, it can be concluded thatit was possible to obtain AgNPs with colloidal stability and antibacterial activity againstGram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Our findings point to at least two separatemechanisms that can cause cell death, one of which involves bacterial membrane damageand the other of which involves intracellular ROS induction.