Green Synthesis and Characterization of Silver Nanoparticles using Aloe vera Plant Extract and Evaluation of their Antibacterial Activity
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Abstract
This study demonstrated the successful green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using Aloe vera leaf extract as a reducing and stabilizing agent. The proposed synthesis method represents an environmentally friendly and sustainable alternative to conventional chemical approaches. The formation of AgNPs was initially indicated by a visible color change from light yellow to yellowish-brown, providing preliminary evidence of nanoparticle formation. UV–Vis spectroscopy further confirmed the synthesis of AgNPs through the appearance of a characteristic surface plasmon resonance (SPR) band within the typical spectral range of silver nanoparticles, indicating the effective reduction of Ag⁺ ions to metallic Ag⁰. The colloidal stability of the synthesized AgNPs in the aqueous medium was further evaluated using zeta potential measurements. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed a predominantly agglomerated morphology, with the nanoparticles occurring as dense and irregular clusters at the nanoscale. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) confirmed the elemental composition of the synthesized material, with silver constituting the predominant detected element. Furthermore, X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis exhibited four characteristic diffraction peaks corresponding to the face-centered cubic (FCC) crystalline structure of metallic silver. The synthesized AgNPs showed an inhibitory effect against both Staphylococcus aureus (Gram-positive) and Escherichia coli (Gram-negative). The antibacterial effect was more pronounced against S. aureus at all tested concentrations. Bacterial enumeration further revealed a clear reduction in bacterial load in the Aloe vera-derived AgNP-treated group compared with the control group, resulting in a 1.02-log reduction, corresponding to a 90.5% decrease in bacterial count.
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