Comparative assessment of the biological activity of the green synthesized silver nanoparticles and aqueous leaf extract of Perilla frutescens (L.)

Abstract

Abstract Green synthesized‎ nanoparticles (GSNPs) display fascinating properties compared to physical and chemical synthesized ones. GSNPs‎ are currently used in numerous applications such as food packaging, surface ‎coating agents, environmental remediation, antimicrobial, and medicine. In the present ‎study, the aqueous leaf extract of Perilla frutescens L. having suitable capping, reducing, and stabilizing compounds was used for green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (Pf-AgNPs).‎‏ ‏The ‎bioreductant capacity of aqueous leaf extract of P. frutescens for Pf-AgNPs was determined by ‎different confirmatory techniques including‎ UV-Visible spectroscopy, XRD, FESEM, EDX‎, zeta potential, DLS, SERS, and FTIR‎ analysis. The results exhibited that Pf-AgNPs had optimal size (< 61nm), shape (spherical), and ‎stability (-18.1 mV). The antioxidant activity of Pf-AgNPs with both DPPH and FRAP assays ‎was significantly higher compared to P. frutescens ‎extract. Furthermore, Pf-AgNPs had high antimicrobial activity against ‎Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus (MIC=‎ ‎‎0.78 mg/mL), and Candida albicans (MIC=‎ ‎‎8 ‎mg/mL)‎ while the plant ‎extract showed ‎low antimicrobial activity‎ against both bacterial strains and the fungus tested. Pf-AgNPs ‎and P. frutescens ‎extract also ‎exhibited moderate toxicity on MCF-7‎ cancer cells‎ with IC50 values ‎of ‎346.2‎ and ‎467.4 µg/mL‎, respectively. The results provide insights into using the biosynthesized Pf-AgNPs as an eco-friendly material for a wide range of biomedical applications.