Green Synthesis and Characterization of Silver Nanoparticles Using Zingiber officinale Extracts to Investigate Their Antibacterial Potential

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has emerged as a significant global concern. To combat this growing threat, various strategies have been employed, including the use of plant extracts and the biosynthesis of nanoparticles (NPs). The current study was designed to evaluate the phytochemical analysis of ginger (Zingiber officinale) extracts, characterize the silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and to see their antibacterial potentials against multi-drug resistant (MDR) bacterial strains.

METHODS: The extracts were prepared and initially assessed for their phytochemical composition and antibacterial activity. Then, AgNPs were synthesized from these extracts at room temperature, and various analytical techniques, including UV-visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), ATIR-FTIR, zeta sizer, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDXA), were used to characterize the NPs. After confirmation of prepared NPs, they were subjected to their antibacterial activity.

RESULTS: HPLC analysis demonstrated the presence of eight phytoconstituents in organic ginger extracts. The absorption spectra of the silver suspension exhibited surface plasmon resonance peaks with maxima between 420 and 448 nm. Functional groups like C-H, N-H, OH, C-O-C, C=O, and C-O were identified in both the organic and aqueous extracts of Z. officinale, playing a key role in the formation of AgNPs, as characterized by ATR-FTIR analysis. Both ginger organic and aqueous extract synthesized AgNPs crystalline structure was shown in XRD analysis and the particle size distribution showed average diameter of 200.5 nm of AgNPs from aqueous extracts. Scanning Electron Microscopy displayed spherical structure and EDA results showed the percentage of elements in synthesized AgNPs using plant extracts. Most promising antibacterial activity was obtained against Escherichia coli ie 20.83±0.53 for 100 µg/mL.

CONCLUSION: The results of the current study showed that AgNPs synthesized from different ginger extracts have promising antibacterial properties and can be potential candidates for alternative treatment options for bacterial infections.