Aims:
To evaluate the antibacterial activity of Artocarpus hirsutus mediated seed extract for
nanoparticle synthesis.
Background:
Gastrointestinal bacteria are known for causing deadly infections in humans. They also
possess multi-drug resistance and interfere with clinical treatments. Applied nanotechnology has been
known to combat such infectious agents with little interference from their special attributes. Here we
synthesize silver nanoparticles from Artocarpus hirsutus seed extract against two gastro-intestinal bacterial
species: Enterobacter aerogenes and Listeria monocytogenes.
Objective:
To collect, dry, and process seeds of Artocarpus hirsutus for nanoparticle synthesis. To
evaluate the morphological interaction of silver nanoparticles with bacteria.
Methods:
Artocarpus hirsutus seeds were collected and processed and further silver nanoparticles were
synthesized by the co-precipitation method. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized using
XRD, UV, FTIR, and SEM. These nanoparticles were employed to study the antibacterial activity of
nanoparticles against Enterobacter aerogenes and Listeria monocytogenes using well diffusion method.
Further, morphological interaction of silver nanoparticles on bacteria was studied using SEM.
Result:
Silver nanoparticles were synthesized using Artocarpus hirsutus seed extract and characterization
studies confirmed that silver nanoparticles were spherical in shape with 25-40 nm size. Antibacterial
study exhibited better activity against Enterobacter aerogenes with a maximum zone of inhibition
than on Listeria monocytogenes. SEM micrographs indicated that Enterobacter aerogenes bacteria
were more susceptible to silver nanoparticles due to the absence of cell wall. Also, the size and charge
of silver nanoparticles enable easy penetration of the bacterial cell wall.
Conclusion:
In this study, silver nanoparticles were synthesized using the seed extract of Artocarpus
hirsutus for the first time exploiting the fact that Moraceae species have high phytonutrient content
which aided in nanoparticle synthesis. This nanoparticle can be employed for large scale synthesis
which when coupled with the pharmaceutical industry can be used to overcome the problems associated
with conventional antibiotics to treat gastrointestinal bacteria.
