Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles Using Populi gemmae Extract: Preparation, Physicochemical Characterization, Antimicrobial Potential and In Vitro Antiproliferative Assessment

Green route is an economic, facile and eco-friendly method, employed for the synthesis of various types of nanoparticles, having it as a starting point biological entity, especially as a plant extract. The present study aims to obtain silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) starting from an ethanolic extract of Populi gemmae (Pg), by adjusting the reaction parameters. The morphological and structural characterization exhibited that both the reaction temperature and the concentration of metal salt, contributes to the obtaining of Pg-AgNPs with adjustable size and shape. The newly synthesized nanoparticles exhibited a good antibacterial activity on Gram-positive bacteria as well as antifungal activity. The in vitro antiproliferative activity of Pg-AgNPs was assessed on two different cancer cell lines (breast cancer cells-MCF7 and lung carcinoma epithelial cells-A549). Results have shown that the green-synthetized Pg-AgNPs_S2 (obtained at 60 degrees C, using AgNO3 of 5 M) induced a substantial decrease in tumor cell viability in a dose-dependent manner with an IC50 ranging from 5.03 to 5.07 mu g/mL on A549 cell line and 3.24 to 4.93 mu g/mL on MCF7 cell line.

Automated summary

The present study synthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using a green route with Populi gemmae (Pg) extract as a starting point. The size and shape of Pg-AgNPs can be adjusted by controlling the reaction temperature and metal salt concentration. The synthesized nanoparticles exhibited antibacterial and antifungal activities, as well as significant antiproliferative effects on breast cancer and lung carcinoma cells.