Biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles using Carissa carandas berries and its potential antibacterial activities

Metal nanoparticles synthesis using the biological material offers a simple, biocompatible, cost-effective and nontoxic in character. A number of plant materials have been utilized as resource material for the most favorable biosynthesis of active nanomaterials. This study involves the synthesis of active silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) using the Carissa carandas (Karonda) berry water extract at room temperature. The nanoparticles characterized at several parameters including shape, size, mass and charge with help of electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transforms IR (FTIR), UV-VIS spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy which proved the efficient silver nanoparticles to be useful in several practical applications. The UV-visible spectra showed the surface plasmon resonance peak at ~440 nm, which is weel recognized attribute peak in case of silver nanoparticles. Avarage size of the biogenic silver nanoparticles ranged from ~10–60 nm, predominantly spherical in shape. The suggested possible mechanisms for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles relies on reduction of AgNO3 due to occurrence of carinol (and related resonant compounds) in the berry extract with inductive effect of the proton of methoxy and allyl groups, present at ortho and para positions of the compounds. The biologically synthesized Ag NPs also showed efficient antibacterial activity against different pathogenic and non-pathogenic bacteria at par with the generic antibiotics.