Antioxidant, Antidiabetic, and Antimicrobial Potentials of Silver Nanoparticles Synthesized from Viscum album

Substances smaller than 100 nm in size are called nanoparticles. In this study silver nanoparticle synthesis was carried out by using AgNO3 from leaf, fruit, and branch aqueous extracts of the mistletoe (Viscum album ssp. austriacum) plant. It was determined whether silver nanoparticles were formed using the UV-Vis method. As a result of UV-Vis analysis of plant parts, peaks were observed at 425, 427, and 430 nm, indicating the surface plasmon resonance of AgNPs. Specific functional groups involved in the formation of AgNPs and reduction of Ag were determined using FT-IR spectroscopy. SEM and EDS analyses determined that the synthesized silver nanoparticle samples were nanosized, and the average size was 59.91. In addition to the crystallite size calculated from XRD diffraction, it was observed that the crystallite size of all silver nanoparticles obtained was in the nanometer range, and the nanoparticle peaks were the same as the peaks of pure silver. Considering the antioxidant results of the study, it was determined that the highest total phenolic and flavonoid amounts were in the leaf extract (35.57±1.39 mg GAE/g extract) and fruit extract (23.42±1.29 mg QE), respectively. Additionally, it was determined that the highest radical scavenging activity was in the fruit AgNPs sample (IC50 129.24±1.38 μg/mL). Additionally, it was determined that the highest antidiabetic activity (α-amylase inhibition) was in the fruit AgNPs sample (IC50 123.59±1.44 μg/mL). As a result, it was determined that silver nanoparticles obtained from these plant parts had superior antioxidant, antidiabetic, and antimicrobial properties.