Phyto-mediated synthesis of Ag nanoparticles/attapulgite nanocomposites using olive leaf extract: Characterization, antibacterial activities and cytotoxicity

In order to achieve good stability and dispersion of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs), and effectively improve its antibacterial activity and bio-friendliness, a novel Ag NPs /attapulgite (Ag NPs/APT) nanocomposite was pre-pared through a green approach mediated by olive leaf extract. TEM analysis showed that smaller and uniformly distributed Ag NPs were formed on the surface of APT nanorods attributed to the support anchoring effect of APT, which contributed to the enhancement of the antibacterial activities of Ag NPs/APT nanocomposite. The antibacterial properties of Ag NPs/APT nanocomposite were examined with the colony-counting method, and the results showed that Ag NPs/APT nanocomposite with loading amount of 5 wt% showed strong antibacterial performance, and its minimum bactericidal concentration against E. coli was 0.5 mg/mL, which is close to that of pure Ag NPs. In addition, Ag NPs/APT nanocomposite almost had no cytotoxicity to mouse fibroblasts L-929, which is much safer biologically than pure Ag NPs. Therefore, considering the good bio-performance and cleaner and eco-friendly synthesis process, the green-formed Ag NPs/APT nanocomposite may have huge potential ap-plications in the antibacterial field.

Automated summary

A novel Ag NPs /attapulgite (Ag NPs/APT) nanocomposite was synthesized through a green approach mediated by olive leaf extract to achieve good stability and dispersion of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) and improve its antibacterial activity and bio-friendliness. The nanocomposite showed smaller and uniformly distributed Ag NPs on the surface of APT nanorods, enhancing its antibacterial activities. The nanocomposite exhibited strong antibacterial performance against E. coli and low cytotoxicity to mouse fibroblasts L-929, making it a promising material in the antibacterial field.