Eco-friendly Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles from Leaf Extract of Solanum khasianum: Optical Properties and Biological Applications

The green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) was considered to be efficacious over other approaches due to their eco-friendliness, cost-effectiveness, and high stability. The biosynthesis of AgNPs was achieved by the reduction of silver nitrate using the aqueous leaf extract of Solanum khasianum. The biosynthesized AgNPs were examined by a color change and UV–Vis spectroscopy with an absorption spectrum at 440 nm. The biomolecules existing in S. khasianum leaf extract accountable for bioreduction and capping of AgNPs were analyzed by FTIR analysis and confirmed the presence of alcohols, phenols, alkanes, carboxylic acid, nitro compounds, and amines. The crystalline nature of Sk-AgNPs with face-centered cubic lattice was confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectrum. The average crystallite size of Sk-AgNPs was computed as 15.96 nm. The lattice constant, unit cell volume, and spacing values of Sk-AgNPs were parallel to the values indexed in the Joint Committee on Powder Diffraction Standard of silver (JCPDS-04–0783). Scanning electron microscope (SEM) imaging witnessed the spherical structure of synthesized AgNPs. Energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectrum acknowledged the AgNPs fabrication with strong signals of silver atoms at 3 keV energy. The biofabricated Sk-AgNPs showed a photoluminescence (PL) emission spectrum of 445 nm with an excitation at 330 nm. Sk-AgNPs showed considerable DPPH radical scavenging activity (87.98%) than BHT (86.14%) and also exhibited significant antidiabetic activity compared to acarbose. Sk-AgNPs revealed antibacterial potentiality against B. sphaericus , E. coli , S. aureus , and P. fluorescens . Moreover, Sk-AgNPs showed dose-dependent cytotoxicity against MCF-7 cell line. This method of green synthesis would support the eco-friendly fabrication of AgNPs from S. khasianum leaf extract with considerable therapeutic activities.