In this study, researchers from Bharathidasan University in India produced silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using an aqueous extract from ripe Nothapodytes nimmoniana (Graham) Mabb. (ghanera) fruit as capping agent. Their paper, which investigated the antioxidant, anticancer, and antimicrobial activities of the AgNPs, was published in the journal Food Science and Human Wellness.

• The researchers characterized AgNPs using UV analysis and x-ray diffraction. They also used scanning electron microscopy to confirm that the AgNPs were spherical and had different particle sizes.
• They also compared the ghanera fruit extract and the AgNPs in terms of phenolics, tannin, and flavonoid content.
• The antioxidant activity of the phytochemicals present in both samples was assessed based on their ability to scavenge the free radicals DPPH and ABTS and chelate metals. Ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay was also used to further evaluate their antioxidant potential.
• The antimicrobial activity of both samples was tested against Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli, all of which cause gastrointestinal tract or respiratory tract infections in humans.
• Upon comparison of AgNPs and ghanera fruit extract, the researchers found that the fruit extract had a much better antioxidant ability.
• When they tested the cytotoxicity of both samples on cancer cells, they found that AgNPs can inhibit the proliferation of the HeLa cell line.
• The synthesized AgNPs, in particular, the smaller ones, were also more effective against bacteria due to their large surface areas; K. pneumoniae and E. coli were the most susceptible towards AgNPs. The antimicrobial activity of AgNPs also suggested that it can penetrate inside bacterial cells.

Based on their findings, the researchers concluded that the AgNPs synthesized using ghanera fruit extract showed enhanced antimicrobial and anticancer potential, making them a promising candidate for biomedical applications.

Read the whole study at this link.

Journal Reference:

Mahendran G, Kumari BR. BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES OF SILVER NANOPARTICLES FROM NOTHAPODYTES NIMMONIANA (GRAHAM) MABB. FRUIT EXTRACTS. Food Science and Human Wellness. December 2016;5(4):207–218. DOI: 10.1016/j.fshw.2016.10.001