Biosynthesis, characterization, and antibacterial activity of silver nanoparticles using Rheum turkestanicum shoots extract

Silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) were synthesized through a facile and “green” method, which uses the aqueous shoots extract of Rheum turkestanicum at room temperature. The formation of Ag-NPs was indicated by observing the change in solution color, turning from light brown to dark brown. The synthesized Ag-NPs were characterized with different instrumental tools such as UV–vis, XRD, FESEM, EDAX, FTIR, and TEM. The formation of Ag-NPs at 1.0 mM concentration of silver nitrate resulted in nanoparticles with spherical shapes and a mean diameter of 26 nm. In addition, the biosynthesized Ag-NPs were found to illustrate stronger antibacterial activities against human pathogenic bacteria. From the results and observations, this method can be applied for large-scale preparations of other noble metals regarding various medical and industrial applications.