An efficient and eco-friendly protocol for the synthesis of bioactive
silver nanoparticles was developed using Naringi crenulata leaf extracts via microwave irradiation method.
Silver nanoparticles were synthesized by treating N. crenulata leaf extracts with 1mM of aqueous
silver nitrate solution. An effective bioactive compound such as
alkaloids,
phenols,
saponins and quinines present in the N. crenulata reduces the Ag(+) into Ag(0). The synthesized
silver nanoparticles were monitored by UV-vis spectrophotometer and further characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infra Red (FTIR), Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). UV-vis spectroscopy showed maximum absorbance at 390nm due to surface plasmon resonance of AgNPs. From FESEM results, an average crystal size of the synthesized nanoparticle was 72-98nm. FT-IR results showed sharp absorption peaks and they were assigned to
phosphine, alkyl halides and sulfonate groups.
Silver nanoparticles synthesized were generally found to be spherical and cubic shape. Topical application of
ointment prepared from
silver nanoparticles of N. crenulata were formulated and evaluated in vivo using the excision wound healing model on Wistar albino rats. The measurement of the
wound areas was performed on 3rd, 6th, 9th, 12th and 15th days and the percentage of
wound closures was calculated accordingly. By the 15th day, the
ointment base containing 5% (w/w) of
silver nanoparticles showed 100% wound healing activity compared with that of the reference as well as control bases. The results strongly suggested that the batch C
ointment containing
silver nanaoparticles synthesized from the leaf extracts of N. crenulata was found to be very effective in
wound repair and encourages harnessing the potentials of the plant biomolecules loaded
silver nanoparticle in the treatment of tropical diseases including wound healing.