Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles Using Bassia eriophora Plant, Testing their Antibacterial Activity and Cytotoxicity

The present study was designed to synthesize silver nanoparticles using the Bassia eriophora (gteena) plant and evaluate their antibacterial efficacy against antibiotic-resistant bacterial species. Additionally, the toxicity of these synthesized nanoparticles was assessed. This research was carried out in the laboratories of the College of Education for Pure Sciences at the University of Basra. AgNPs were synthesized using B. eriophora extract as a reducing and capping agent. Hence, it eliminates the need for hazardous chemicals. The characteristics of produced AgNPs were assessed using several methods. These methods include dynamic light scattering (DLS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), Zeta potential test, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The findings validated the creation of polydispersed and quasi-spherical synthetic nanoparticles with sizes between 39.23 and 60.90 nm. Analytical tests of the active components identified 43 compounds using GC-MS analysis, with arsenous acid tris(trimethylsilyl) ester constituting the greatest proportion at 36.1567%. The AgNPs exhibited significant antimicrobial efficacy against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, including Proteus mirabilis (20-15 mm), Salmonella spp. (18 mm), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (17-15 mm), Klebsiella pneumoniae (13-13 mm), as well as Shigella spp, and Escherichia coli (15 mm). A human red blood cell lysis assay evaluated the toxicity of nanoparticles. They reveal no hemolysis in the 10 doses tested throughout the experiment. It was determined that AgNPs containing Bassia B. eriophora greatly enhanced their antibacterial properties and cytotoxicity.