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

ANIKE P.V. FERREYRA MAILLARD; ANAHÍ BORDÓN

APPLIED BIOCHEMISTRY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY

HUMANA PRESS INC

Lugar: Oregon; Año: 2023

0273-2289

The increased emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is a serious health problemworldwide. In this sense, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have received increasing attentionfor their antimicrobial activity. In this context, the goal of this study was to produce AgNPsby a green synthesis protocol using an aqueous leaf extract of Schinus areira asbiocomposite to later characterize their antimicrobial action. The nanomaterials obtainedwere characterized by UV‒vis spectroscopy, DLS, TEM, and Raman, confirming thepresence of quasi-spherical AgNPs with a negative surface charge and diameter around 11nm. Afterward, the minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentration of the AgNPsagainst Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli were obtained, showing highantibacterial activity. In both of the examined bacteria, the AgNPs were able to raiseintracellular ROS levels. In E. coli, the AgNPs can harm the bacterial membrane as well.Overall, it can be concluded that was possible obtain AgNPs with colloidal stability andantibacterial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Our findings pointto at least two separate mechanisms that can cause cell death, one of which involvesbacterial membrane damage and the other of which involves intracellular ROS induction.