Biological activity of green-synthesized silver nanoparticles depends on the applied natural extracts: a comprehensive study.
Due to obvious disadvantages of the classical chemical methods, green synthesis of metallic nanoparticles has attracted tremendous attention in recent years. Numerous environmentally benign synthesis methods have been developed yielding nanoparticles via low-cost, eco-friendly, and simple approaches. In this study, our aim was to determine the suitability of coffee and green tea extracts in green synthesis of silver nanoparticles as well as to compare the performance of the obtained materials in different biological systems. We successfully produced silver nanoparticles (C-AgNP and GT-AgNP) using coffee and green tea extracts; moreover, based on our comprehensive screening, we delineated major differences in the biological activity of C-AgNPs and GT-AgNPs. Our results indicate that although GT-AgNPs exhibited excellent antimicrobial activity against all the examined microbial pathogens, these particles were also highly toxic to mammalian cells, which limits their potential applications. On the contrary, C-AgNPs manifested substantial inhibitory action on the tested microbes but were nontoxic to human and mouse cells, indicating an outstanding capacity to discriminate between potential pathogens and mammalian cells. These results clearly show that the various green materials used for stabilization and for reduction of metal ions have a defining role in determining and fine-tuning the biological activity of the obtained nanoparticles.
Department of Applied and Environmental Chemistry.
Andrea
A
Rónavári
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
Dávid
D
Kovács
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
Nóra
N
Igaz
Department of Microbiology, University of Szeged.
Csaba
C
Vágvölgyi
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Institute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Center of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.
Imre Miklós
IM
Boros
Department of Applied and Environmental Chemistry; MTA-SZTE Reaction Kinetics and Surface Chemistry Research Group, Szeged, Hungary.
Zoltán
Z
Kónya
Department of Microbiology, University of Szeged.
Ilona
I
Pfeiffer
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
Mónika
M
Kiricsi
D000818:Animals; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D003069:Coffee / Q000737:chemistry*; D005658:Fungi / Q000187:drug effects; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D051379:Mice; D041681:NIH 3T3 Cells; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012834:Silver / Q000737:chemistry*; D013662:Tea
D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000975:Antioxidants; D003069:Coffee; D010936:Plant Extracts; D013662:Tea; D012834:Silver
antimicrobial activity; green synthesis; silver nanoparticles; toxicity