Synthesis of silver nanoparticles conjugated with kaempferol and hydrocortisone and an evaluation of their antibacterial effects

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have shown a wide range of antibacterial activities over the last 2 decades. Conjugated AgNPs have attracted much interest among researchers for their properties which allow alterations of their physicochemical and biological properties. In this study, two potential stabilizing agents, flavonoids (kaempferol) and corticosteroids (hydrocortisone), were employed in the preparation of silver conjugated kaempferol and hydrocortisone nanoparticles (i.e., KH-AgNPs). The as-synthesized KH-AgNPs demonstrated a uniform spherical morphology by the transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results along with excellent stability and also shown strong bactericidal properties against different bacterial strains, including Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, and Staphylococcus aureus. The KH-AgNPs were characterized by UV-Visible and FTIR spectroscopy studies and powder X-ray diffraction analysis. The KH-AgNPs activity was further analyzed by reactive oxygen species, live/dead bacterial assays, lactate dehydrogenase, and lipid peroxidation assays. The results have demonstrated the better antibacterial efficacy of the nanoparticles.