Calotropis procera Mediated Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles and its Antibacterial Effect on Selected Pathogens

This study investigates the green synthesis and antibacterial potential of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) derived from Calotropis procera leaf extract. The AgNPs was characterized using Ultraviolet-Visible (UV-VIS) Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning and Transmission Electron Microscopy (SEM and TEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD). The spectrum from UV-VIS had a peak centered at 445 nm confirming the formation of AgNPs, SEM-TEM micrographs showed them as aggregated, spherical in shape and about 15.30 – 17.66 nm in size, while EDX revealed Ag with highest proportion (75.56 %). The FTIR analysis revealed the presence of functional groups such as alcohols, ethers, esters, alkenes, carboxylic acid and amines. The XRD confirmed the crystalline nature of the synthesized CP-AgNPs. The synthesized AgNPs showed strong antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli (18.1±0.2 mm), Enterobacter sichuanensis (16.8±0.5 mm), Pseudomonas aeroginosa (14.4±0.3 mm), Staphylococcus aureus (22.2±0.5 mm) and Streptococcus agalactiae (21.5±0.1 mm). This study demonstrates an efficient, eco-friendly method for synthesizing AgNPs with strong antibacterial potential, which could be valuable for developing alternative antimicrobial agents.