Biogenic synthesis of silver nanoparticles from the leaf extract of Erythroxylum Monogynum Roxb: Evaluation of antibacterial and anticancer effects

This study demonstrates an approach for the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using leaf extracts from Erythroxylum monogynum Roxb. The leaf extracts have the dual function include the reduction of the silver nitrate and stabilizing the AgNPs. These AgNPs were characterized using UV-Vis spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and other analytical methods. This study showed that the AgNPs had a distinct crystalline structure, with particle sizes varying from ~20–60 nm with a noticeable absorbance peak at 460 nm, which confirms the synthesis of AgNPs. Later in-vitro based biological effects were evaluated, where demonstrated substantial antibacterial activity against pathogenic strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli, suggesting their potential effectiveness in treating microbial diseases. In addition, further study examined the inhibitory effect of the AgNPs on the proliferation of cancer cells, resulting significant level of inhibition when tested on CaCO2 and HELA cancer cell lines. Based on the obtained results we concluded the potential of these AgNPs as a promising therapeutic agent in microbial infections and cancers. [Display omitted] •Extracts from Erythroxylum monogynum efficiently transformed silver ions into nanoparticles at a temperature of 90°C•The size of the nanoparticles ranged from 40.11 to 80.40 nm and was determined using UV-Vis, HR-TEM, SAED, and XRD methods.•Silver nanoparticles had greater efficacy against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli.•The nanoparticles exhibited cytotoxic effects on Caco-2 and HeLa cancer cells, suggesting their potential for use in therapy.•The introduction of nanoparticles caused oxidative stress in cancer cells, resulting in cell death and promising therapeutic applications.