Scorzonera calyculata Aerial Part Extract Mediated Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles: Evaluation of Their Antibacterial, Antioxidant and Anticancer Activities

In the present study, we employed an ethanolic extract of the Scorzonera calyculata for biosynthesis of AgNPs for the first time. The AgNPs were synthesized using reduction of AgNO3 solution by S. calyculata extract and synthesized AgNPs were characterized using ultraviolet visible spectroscopy, transmission electron microscope, scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. In addition, the anti-oxidant activity of synthesized AgNPs were studied by 2,2-diphenyl, 1-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) assay. The microscopic analysis showed that the synthesized AgNPs were spherical in shape with an average size of 25.28 nm. The DPPH results showed that the significant antioxidant activity of AgNPs. The antibacterial activity of the AgNPs was carried out by minimum inhibitory concentration that showed high toxicity against Gram negative bacteria. The cytotoxicity of the synthesized AgNPs against human lung cancer cell (A549) were investigated using MTT method and the inhibitory concentration (IC50) was found to be 12.5 µg/mL. Finally, the Annexin V/PI staining indicated that the synthesized AgNPs could induce apoptosis in A549 cells as compared to untreated cells. In conclusion, biosynthesis of AgNPs using S. calyculata extract is a very rapid and cost-effective method and the synthesized AgNPs had good biological activities.