The present work deals with the green synthesis and characterization of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using Allium cepa (yellowish peel) and the evaluation of its antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anticholinesterase activities. For the synthesis of AgNPs, peel aqueous extract (200 mL) was treated with a 40 mM AgNO3 solution (200 mL) at room temperature, and a color change was observed. In UV-Visible spectroscopy, an absorption peak formation at ~439 nm was the sign that AgNPs were present in the reaction solution. UV-vis, FE-SEM, TEM, EDX, AFM, XRD, TG/DT analyses, and Zetasizer techniques were used to characterize the biosynthesized nanoparticles. The crystal average size and zeta potential of AC-AgNPs with predominantly spherical shapes were measured as 19.47 ± 1.12 nm and −13.1 mV, respectively. Pathogenic microorganisms Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Candida albicans were used for the Minimum Inhibition Concentration (MIC) test. When compared to tested standard antibiotics, AC-AgNPs demonstrated good growth inhibitory activities on P. aeuruginosa, B. subtilis, and S. aureus strains. In vitro, the antioxidant properties of AC-AgNPs were measured using different spectrophotometric techniques. In the β-Carotene linoleic acid lipid peroxidation assay, AC-AgNPs showed the strongest antioxidant activity with an IC₅₀ value of 116.9 µg/mL, followed by metal-chelating capacity and ABTS cation radical scavenging activity with IC₅₀ values of 120.4 µg/mL and 128.5 µg/mL, respectively. The inhibitory effects of produced AgNPs on the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) enzymes were determined using spectrophotometric techniques. This study provides an eco-friendly, inexpensive, and easy method for the synthesis of AgNPs that can be used for biomedical activities and also has other possible industrial applications.

Metallic nanoparticle biosynthesis is thought to offer opportunities for a wide range of biological uses. The green process of turning biological waste into utilizable products gaining attention due to its economical and eco-friendly approach in recent years. This study reported the ability of Solanum tuberosum (ST) peel extract to the green synthesis of non-toxic, stable, small-sized silver nanoparticles without any toxic reducing agent utilizing the phytochemical components present in its structure. UV–visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, flourier scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and energy dispersive analysis X-ray confirmed the biosynthesis and characterization of silver nanoparticles. Also, dynamic light scattering and thermogravimetric analyses showed stable synthesized nanoparticles. The antibacterial activity of the biosynthesized silver nanoparticles was evaluated against four different bacterial strains, Escherichia coli (E. coli), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa), Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis), and a yeast, Candida albicans (C. albicans) using the minimum inhibitory concentration technique. The cytotoxic activities were determined against Human dermal fibroblast (HDF), glioblastoma (U118), colorectal adenocarcinoma (CaCo-2), and human ovarian (Skov-3) cell lines cancer cells using MTT test. The nanoparticle capping agents that could be involved in the reduction of silver ions to Ag NPs and their stabilization was identified using FTIR. Nanoparticles were spherical in shape and had a size ranging from 3.91 to 27.07 nm, showed crystalline nature, good stability (−31.3 mV), and the presence of capping agents. ST-Ag NPs significantly decreased the growth of bacterial strains after treatment. The in vitro analysis showed that the ST-Ag NPs demonstrated dose-dependent cytotoxicity against cell lines. Based on the data, it is feasible to infer that biogenic Ag NPs were capped with functional groups and demonstrated considerable potential as antibacterial and anticancer agents for biomedical and industrial applications.

Introduction: The method of encapsulating the drug molecule in a carrier, such as a magnetic nanoparticle, is a promising development that has the potential to deliver the medicine to the site where it is intended to be administered. Morin is a pentahydroxyflavone obtained from the leaves, stems, and fruits of various plantsmainly from the Moraceae family exhibiting diverse pharmacological activities such as anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and free radical scavenging and helps treat diseases such as diabetes, myocardial infarction and cancer.Methods: In this study, we conducted the synthesis of a nanocomposite with magnetic properties by coating biocompatible activated carbon obtained from okra plant leaves with magnetic nanoparticles.Results: Characterization of the synthesized activated carbon-coated magnetic nanocomposite was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared, scanning electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, and zeta potential. The cytotoxic effects of the drug-loaded magnetic nanocomposite were examined in HT-29 (Colorectal), MCF-7 (breast), U373 (brain), T98-G (Glioblastoma) cancer cell lines, and human umbilical vein endothelial cells healthy cell line.Discussion: We studied the loading and release behavior of morin hydrate in the activated carbon-coated magnetic nanocomposite. Activated carbon-coated magnetic nanocomposite carriers can show promising results for the delivery of Morin hydrate drugs to the targeted site.

In this study, environmentally friendly zinc oxide nanoparticles (OB-ZnO NPs) were synthesized using Ocimum basilicum (OB) plant waste extract, and the removal of paracetamol (PCM) from pharmaceutical wastes with toxic effects on the ecosystem was investigated. The characteristic structure of synthesized OB-ZnO NPs was determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), dynamic light scattering (DLS), Zetasizer, thermogravimetry-differential thermal analysis (TGA-DTA), and UV-vis spectroscopy. The effect of the obtained OB-ZnO NPs on PCM removal was determined by batch adsorption tests. In the study in which 6 different kinetic and isotherm models were examined, error analysis functions were used to determine the most suitable model. Accordingly, the crystal structure of biosynthesized OB-ZnO NPs has a particle size of 30.39 nm, a surface area of 13.826 m²/g, and a pore volume of 0.0475 cm³/g. Since OB-ZnO NPs have a zeta potential of − 22.1 mV and a mass loss of 33% at about 750 °C, these NPs show that they are durable at high temperatures. When the PCM removal mechanisms with OB-ZnO NPs were examined, it was determined that the most suitable kinetic and isotherm model was the Elovich model with an R² value of 0.989 and the Redlich-Peterson model with an R² value of 0.999. In the study, which reached 23 mgPCM/gOB-ZnO NP removal efficiency, it was revealed that OB-ZnO NPs obtained from waste plants have the potential to be used in the removal of pharmaceutical wastes. Graphical abstract

The emergence of antibiotic resistance, caused by the improper use of antibiotics, is a significant challenge in combating infectious diseases, leading to millions of annual fatalities. The occurrence of antimicrobial side effects catalyzes the investigation of novel antimicrobial compounds and sources of drugs. Consequently, the research on biological activity that is conducted on plants, plant extracts, and compounds that are produced from plant components is of utmost significance. In this study, CtAC/MNPs were obtained by the reaction of activated carbon (AC) obtained from the fruits of the Celtis tournefortii (Ct) plant and magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs), and a CtAC/MNPs-Ag nanocomposite was synthesized by the reduction in silver ions added to the reaction. The synthesized CtAC/MNPs and CtAC/MNPs-Ag nanocomposites were analyzed spectroscopically (FTIR, XRD), microscopically (SEM, EDX), optically (DLS), electrochemically (zeta potential) and magnetically (VSM). The antibacterial activities of CtAC/MNPs and CtAC/MNPs-Ag nanocomposites against S. aureus and E. coli were investigated by microdilution method using minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and disk diffusion methods. Antioxidant activity study, including total phenolic content and DPPH and cuprac assays, revealed the remarkable effect of the CtAC/MNPs-Ag nanocomposite. This study has the advantages of obtaining CtAC/MNPs and CtAC/MNPs-Ag nanocomposites in a short time without requiring energy, and most importantly, the reaction takes place without using any toxic substances. In addition, according to the data obtained in the study, the CtAC/MNPs-Ag nanocomposite is thought to shed light on biomedical research.