Versatile biomedical potential of biosynthesized silver nanoparticles from Acacia nilotica bark

J Appl Biomed. 2019 Jun;17(2):115-124. doi: 10.32725/jab.2019.010. Epub 2019 Jun 17.

Abstract

The present study reports the development of potent silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using bark extract of Acacia nilotica and evaluation of its wound healing, anti-biofilm, anti-cancer and anti-microbial activity. Stable, small sized nanoparticles with spherical morphology were obtained after significant optimization studies that was evaluated through UV-visible spectroscopy. Thereafter, physicochemical characterization of biosynthesized AgNPs was carried out through DLS and FESEM for evaluation of size. EDAX and FTIR were carried out for the evaluation of composition and possible functional groups involved in the reduction and capping of AgNPs. The antibacterial potential was investigated through disc diffusion assay against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa). Further, the Congo Red Assay (CRA) successfully revealed the anti-biofilm activity against Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis), Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), Proteus vulgaris (P. vulgaris), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa). Alamar blue assay was conducted in A549 cells to reveal the remarkable anticancer activity of biosynthesized AgNPs that resulted in a very appreciable manner. Further, the wound healing activity of AgNPs can heal the excised wound of mice up-to 100% within 15 days. All these studies suggested that our biosynthesized AgNPs possess versatile biomedical application.

Keywords: Acacia nilotica; antibacterial; antibiofilm; anticancer; silver nanoparticles; wound healing.