article · Journal of Chemical Society of Nigeria
Aqueous extract of Lagenaria breviflora fruit was utilised to synthesise silver nanoparticles via an eco-friendly biological route. Phytochemical screening of the fruit extract identified the presence of alkaloids, tannins, flavonoids, terpenoids, saponins, and carotenoids. The synthesis was conducted in the dark by reacting silver nitrate solution with the plant extract at 60 degrees Celsius for six hours under continuous stirring. A visual colour change to dark brown confirmed nanoparticle formation. Analytical characterisation showed an average particle size of 73.20 nm via scanning electron microscopy, an average crystallite size of 12.83 nm via X-ray diffraction, and a characteristic absorbance peak at 435 nm. Evaluation using the agar well diffusion method demonstrated antibacterial activity against clinical pathogens, specifically Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi, and Staphylococcus aureus, yielding zones of inhibition measuring between 11 mm and 12 mm.
Green synthesis provides an environmentally friendly, cost-effective alternative to conventional chemical routes for manufacturing nanomaterials. By relying on natural plant extracts rather than toxic reducing agents, this approach supports sustainable manufacturing. Demonstrating that nanoparticles derived from Lagenaria breviflora can inhibit both Gram-negative and Gram-positive clinical pathogens provides useful baseline evidence for researchers developing plant-mediated antimicrobial agents.
This work represents early-stage laboratory research showing that biologically synthesised silver nanoparticles have antibacterial properties. The technique could eventually interest developers of antimicrobial coatings, wound care products, or sanitising formulations. However, because antibacterial performance was lower than the standard control ciprofloxacin and testing was limited to in vitro assays, extensive further formulation, efficacy optimisation, and safety evaluations are needed before practical commercial use can be considered.
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Green synthesis of nanoparticles is a synthetic method that utilizes biological sources for their production. It is gaining attention due to its cost-effectiveness, eco-friendly nature, and compatibility with large-scale production. Herein is a detailed report on the green synthesis of AgNPs and evaluation of their antimicrobial activity. Aqueous extract of Lagenaria breviflora fruit was obtained via maceration and then screened to determine the presence of important phytochemicals. The synthesis of AgNPs was carried out in the dark to avoid photodegradation of silver nitrate solution. 0.005M AgNO? solution was added to aqueous extract of Lagenaria breviflora fruit in a ratio of 80:20. The mixture was maintained at 60°C for 6 hours under constant stirring. A color changes was observed, indicating the formation of AgNPs; which was confirmed by a visual color change from light yellow to dark brown due to the phenomenon of surface plasmon resonance. The biosynthesized AgNPs were characterized using UV-vis spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). SEM revealed the surface morphology and the average particle size of 73.20 nm, X-ray diffraction showed an average crystallites size of 12.83 nm in the range of 10-700, FTIR revealed the presence of important functional groups responsible for reduction of silver ions and UV-Visible spectrophotometer showed maximum absorbance peak of 435 nm in the range of 300-700nm. The antibacterial activity of the synthesized AgNPs were tested against clinical pathogens including gram negative (Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhi) and gram positive (Staphylococcus aureus) using agar well diffusion method. The result showed that the green synthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have a potential to inhibit the growth of bacterial with inhibition zones diameter of 12mm, 11mm and 11mm observed for the tested organisms compare to the 19mm of the control (Ciprofloxacin). Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of alkaloids, tannnis, flavonoids, terpenoids, saponins and carotenoids.
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DOI: 10.46602/jcsn.v50i2.1057
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