Easy and eco-friendly way for silver nanoparticles synthesis using Lotus corniculatus L: characterization and antibacterial activity

Lotus corniculatus L. is a plant that has recently proven a significant effect in anticancer therapies. On the other side, silver nanoparticles have always proven to demonstrate pronounced antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. To harness the collective advantages of both entities, we synthesized silver nanoparticles using an aqueous extract of Lotus corniculatus L. In this synthesis, we used a solution of AgNO3 as a precursor of Ag, while existing bioactive molecules in the extract acted as a reducing agent and natural stabilizer of formed nanoparticles. Structural characterization of the product was done by X-ray diffractometry (XRD) and infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-rays (SEM with EDX) was used to investigate nanoparticles morphology, and optical characterization was completed by Ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry (UV-Vis). An absorption edge at 420 nm and a noticeable color shift in the extract following the addition of the precursor demonstrated the AgNPs formation. SEM verified that the nanoparticles were spherical and had an average size of 17 nm. Importantly, the synthesized nanoparticles displayed an important antimicrobial activity, which is exhibited more remappable counter to gram-negative (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa) than gram-positive (Bacillus subtilis). These findings underscore the potential of the Lotus corniculatus L. extract in silver nanoparticles synthesis as a promising avenue for applications in medicine and antimicrobial therapies.