Biological synthesis of <i>Glycyrrhiza glabra</i> -based silver nanoparticles and determination of their bioactivities

Silver nanoparticles are materials that exhibit good antimicrobial activity due to their unique properties. Silver nanoparticles obtained by using chemical synthesis techniques cause the formation of toxic products during and after the process. Therefore, there is a need for environmentally friendly, cheap, and fast synthesis. The green synthesis technique is developed as an alternative to chemical synthesis techniques, which enables the synthesis of silver nanoparticles in an environmentally friendly, cheap, and fast way. In this study, the potential of <i>Glycyrrhiza glabra</i> (<i>G. glabra</i>, licorice) roots for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles was determined. The obtained nanoparticles were characterized using various techniques. It was determined that the obtained nanoparticles exhibited maximum absorbance at 420 nm, with an average size of 36 nm. The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH·) radical scavenging activity of the synthesized nanoparticles was 94 ± 1.18%, the iron-reducing capacity was 55 ± 0.84%, and the antimicrobial activity, determined by the disk diffusion method on <i>Escherichia coli</i> (<i>E. coli</i>), was found to be quite good.