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Synthesis of silver nanoparticles employing Polyalthia longifolia leaf extract and their in vitro antifungal activity against phytopathogen

Summary

Scientists successfully created tiny silver particles using leaves from the Polyalthia longifolia plant, an evergreen tree native to India. These silver nanoparticles proved highly effective at stopping the growth of Alternaria alternata, a fungus that damages crops and causes leaf spot disease. The method is inexpensive, environmentally friendly, and the particles remain stable for months, making them a promising natural alternative to chemical fungicides for protecting plants.

Background

Polyalthia longifolia is an evergreen plant native to India with known antimicrobial properties. Plant-mediated synthesis of silver nanoparticles offers an environmentally friendly and cost-effective alternative to physical and chemical methods. This study explores the potential of P. longifolia leaf extract for biosynthesizing stable silver nanoparticles.

Objective

To synthesize silver nanoparticles using P. longifolia leaf extract and characterize them using multiple analytical techniques. To evaluate the in vitro antifungal activity of the synthesized nanoparticles against Alternaria alternata, including determination of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC), and cytomorphological effects.

Results

Optimized synthesis conditions yielded highly stable spherical AgNPs of 10-40 nm average size 14 nm with a characteristic UV-Vis peak at 435 nm and negative zeta potential of -20.8 mV. PL-AgNPs demonstrated maximum mycelial growth inhibition of 81% at 500 ppm against A. alternata with MIC of 125 ppm and MFC of 500 ppm. Cytomorphological analysis showed increased mycelial width (69.1%) and decreased conidia size (75.7%) at MIC concentration.

Conclusion

P. longifolia mediated silver nanoparticles were successfully synthesized and proven to be inexpensive, environmentally friendly, stable, and highly effective against the plant-pathogenic fungus A. alternata. The nanoparticles remained stable for over 5 months and showed superior antifungal activity compared to plant extract alone and silver nitrate solutions. These biosynthesized nanoparticles have potential applications for treating plant diseases caused by A. alternata.
  • Published in:Biochemistry and Biophysics Reports,
  • Study Type:In vitro Experimental Study,
  • Source: PMID: 36032398, DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrep.2022.101320
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