Researchers have developed eco-friendly silver nanoparticles from Magnolia alba leaf extract. These nanoparticles present enhanced antioxidant and dye-degrading properties with potential medical and environmental functions.
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Plant-Based mostly Different to Chemical Strategies
Silver nanoparticles are valued for his or her antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anticancer results, however typical manufacturing strategies usually use hazardous chemical compounds and require giant volumes of power.
Plant-based silver nanoparticles, utilizing plant extracts wealthy in pure compounds equivalent to phenols and flavonoids, current a safer, extra sustainable, and cost-effective different. These phytochemicals act as each decreasing and capping brokers, facilitating the formation of secure nanoparticles whereas avoiding poisonous by-products.
Totally different plant extracts affect the scale, form, and organic exercise of the nanoparticles produced. Magnolia alba, identified for its numerous phytochemicals, has by no means been examined for nanoparticle synthesis till now.
Synthesis
Described in Scientific Experiences, the researchers collected Magnolia alba leaves, processing them to provide an aqueous leaf extract (MLE).
Phytochemical screening confirmed the extract’s range; MLE contained secondary metabolites together with carbohydrates, proteins, saponins, steroids, tannins, and terpenoids.
The workforce used a inexperienced artificial methodology to provide the silver nanoparticles, mixing an aqueous silver nitrate (AgNO3) resolution with MLE underneath managed situations. The silver ions (Ag+) had been diminished to metallic silver (Ag0), leading to a visual color change within the resolution from pale to darkish brown.
Characterisation utilizing scanning electron microscopy (SEM) confirmed the nanoparticles had been spherical, with an approximate dimension of 40 nm, an optimum vary for mobile uptake in biomedical functions. The nanoparticles remained secure for at the very least six months when saved at 4 °C.
Antioxidant Exercise Enhanced
The researchers assessed the antioxidant potential of the nanoparticles by measuring complete flavonoid content material (TFC) and complete phenolic content material (TPC).
TFC was decided utilizing an aluminium chloride colourimetric methodology, which measures the power of flavonoids to type complexes with aluminium ions, detectable at 415 nm. TPC was quantified with the Folin-Ciocalteu reagent, which reacts with phenolic compounds to provide a blue chromogen, detected at 765 nm.
Each TFC and TPC had been considerably greater within the nanoparticle formulations than within the leaf extract. These findings point out that the surface-bound flavonoid and phenolic compounds enhanced the free radical scavenging capabilities of the nanoparticles.
This may very well be notably worthwhile in functions aimed toward mitigating oxidative stress, together with most cancers remedy, wound therapeutic, and drug supply.
Photocatalytic Potential for Water Therapy
Photocatalytic degradation research demonstrated the potential of the nanoparticles in environmental cleanup. They efficiently decolorized methyl orange dye in water, which the researchers used to simulate wastewater contamination.
Within the experiment, the nanoparticles had been combined with a methyl orange resolution and sodium borohydride (NaBH4) as a decreasing agent. The workforce measured the dye’s absorbance at common intervals to trace its degradation.
Outcomes confirmed environment friendly dye breakdown underneath delicate situations, which was attributed to the massive floor space and reactive floor websites of the MLE silver nanoparticles, demonstrating their potential for environmental remediation.
What’s Subsequent?
The examine introduced the formation of secure, spherical silver nanoparticles, roughly 40 nm in dimension, utilizing a inexperienced, eco-friendly methodology and Magnolia alba leaf extract.
The nanoparticles displayed enhanced antioxidant capacities, doubtless because of the phytochemicals retained on their floor, and demonstrated vital photocatalytic exercise in dye degradation exams.
To evaluate the biocompatibility and cytotoxicity of those nanoparticles, additional research are really helpful, in addition to exams to guage their efficiency in sensible, real-world situations. Such work might assist set up Magnolia alba-derived silver nanoparticles as a secure and efficient choice for each medical and environmental functions.
Journal Reference
De Mel S., et al. (2025). Inexperienced synthesis of silver nanoparticles utilizing Magnolia alba leaf extracts and evaluating their antimicrobial, anticancer, antioxidant, and photocatalytic properties. Scientific Experiences 15, 23709. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-08468-3, https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-08468-3.
