Eco-friendly fabrication of iron nanoparticles using Bauhinia purpurea and Inhibition of Staphylococcus aureus biofilms

Abstract Hospital-acquired infections triggered by multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus are a major clinical problem because of the bacterium’s capacity to build biofilms on medical surfaces. The purpose of this work was to evaluate the antibiofilm activity of green-synthesised iron nanoparticles (FeNPs) produced from Bauhinia purpurea leaf extract. The FeNPs were studied by UV-Visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), revealing an absorbance peak at 320–330 nm, a crystalline structure with an average size of 32 nm, and a spherical shape ranging from 100 to 200 nm. The antibiofilm efficiency was investigated using a crystal violet-based microtiter plate assay. The results revealed concentration-dependent inhibition, with a maximum of 92.74% biofilm inhibition at 500 µg/mL and 35.48% inhibition at the lowest dosage of 31.25 µg/mL. SEM imaging revealed the reduced bacterial adhesion and disturbed biofilm architecture on the treated surfaces. This study is unique in that it is the first to demonstrate B. purpurea -mediated FeNPs as effective, environmentally friendly antibiofilm agents with prospective implications in avoiding biofilm-associated infections on medical equipment.