Nigella sativa mediated green synthesis of silver nanoparticles to curb antibiotic resistance

Antibiotic resistance has become one of the leading causes of death globally. Nigella sativa seeds have seen surge in demand for medicinal applications owing to their bioactive properties. We performed an in-silico study to find whether Nigella sativa phytocompounds inhibit the virulent CTX-M-15 protein, widely found in extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producing bacteria. Molecular docking revealed that the phytocompounds showed stronger binding interactions than standard drug Ampicillin. Considering the antibacterial nature of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), an in-vitro study was performed, involving green synthesis of AgNPs using Nigella sativa seeds, its characterization using various techniques and its antibacterial activity evaluation. The efficiency of the Nigella sativa AgNPs against different strains of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae was tested successfully using antibacterial assays. The combined in-silico and in-vitro studies suggest that Nigella sativa AgNPs exhibit efficient antibacterial activity and could be a probable alternative therapeutic against ESBL producing bacterial infections.