Development of biologically inspired experimental processes for the synthesis of nanoparticles is
evolving into an important branch of nanotechnology. Plant-mediated synthesis of nanomaterials has been
increasingly gaining popularity due to its eco-friendly nature and cost-effectiveness. In the present study, we were
synthesized silver (Ag) nanoparticles using aqueous extracts of fresh leaves of
Ashyranthus aspera medicinal plants
as bio-reducing agents. UV-Vis spectrometer used to monitor the reduction of Ag ions and the formation of AgNPs
in the medium. UV-Vis spectra and visual observation showed that the color of the fresh leaf extracts of
Ashyranthus
aspera turned into grayish-brown respectively, after treatment with Ag precursors. XRD and SEM have been used
to investigate the morphology of prepared AgNPs. The peaks in the XRD pattern are associated with that of the
Face-Centered-Cubic (FCC) form of metallic silver. TGA/DTA results associated with weight loss and exothermic
reaction due to the desorption of chemisorbed water. FTIR was performed to identify the functional groups which
form a layer covering AgNPs and stabilize the AgNPs in the medium. Moreover, silver nanoparticles using aqueous
leaf extracts of
Ashyranthus aspera were separately tested for their antibacterial activity against Gram-positive
bacteria (
Staphylococcus aureus
) and Gram-negative bacteria (
Enterobacter
). The results showed that the bacterial
growth was inhibited by the extracts containing AgNPs Nanoparticles. The biosynthesized nanoparticle was prepared
from
Ashyranthus aspera leaf extracts exhibits potential applications as broad-spectrum antimicrobial agents.
