Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles (PA-AgNPs), Characterisation, Antibacterial and Proliferative Effects

Currently, the creation of several novel materials has accelerated the fields of nanoscience and nanotechnology. The production of nanoparticles is being developed using a variety of physical, chemical and even biological processes. The biological approach is becoming increasingly popular among these methods because it is easy to use, requires modest operating conditions, and produces waste and products in a more environmentally friendly manner. Green nanoparticles can be synthesised using a variety of components and biochemicals found in plants, which can act as stabilising and reducing agents. There is great potential for AgNPs, particularly in the medical applications or biomedical field. The most common application of nanoparticles has been as antibacterial agents. In this study, AgNPs were synthesised using the green synthesis method. The antibacterial and proliferative effects of these synthesised nanoparticles were investigated. In this direction, yellow cherry (Prunus avium L.) belonging to Konya/Ereğli region was harvested at appropriate time and conditions. The extract of the collected yellow cherry was used as a reducing agent to obtain Ag nanoparticles. The extract obtained from the collected yellow cherry, rich in polyphenols and flavonoids, served as a reducing agent for AgNP synthesis. The Prunus avium-AgNPs (PAAgNPs) were found to be spherical with an average size of 40.98 ± 12.45 nm based on SEM analysis. The synthesised Ag-NPs were shown to be effective against S. aureus and E. faecalis bacteria based on their antibacterial activity, which was assessed using the disc diffusion technique. At the same time, a healthy cell line (L929) was used to assess the proliferative effect using the MTT technique. The results showed that the IC50 (concentration that inhibits 50%) of the cells was 46 µg mL-1 at 24 hours, 92.5 µg mL-1 at 48 hours and 105 µg mL-1 at 72 hours. In this study, silver nanoparticles were synthesized with an environmentally friendly approach using the extract obtained from the fruits of Prunus avium, which is rich in bioactive content. Compared to AgNPs synthesized by chemical methods, particles synthesized by biosynthesis (green synthesis) method showed much lower cytotoxic effects.