Synthesis of silver nanoparticles from Ephedra intermedia extract and evaluation of antibacterial and antioxidant properties

Ephedra intermedia species from the Ephedraceae family is a shrubby plant and is considered among the primitive plants. The aim of this study is to synthesize silver nanoparticles from the extract of this species in order to investigate its antimicrobial and antioxidant effects.

First, methanolic extract was prepared and silver nanoparticles were synthesized using silver salt. A spectrophotometric device was used to verify silver nanoparticles and a scanning electron microscope was used to check its dimensions and shape. FTIR analysis was used to investigate the possible organic compounds involved in the synthesis of nanoparticles, and to determine the concentration of nanoparticles, the analysis was performed by AAS and the antioxidant properties were evaluated by the DPPH method. In order to evaluate the antimicrobial activity, MBC and MIC and disking method were used.

The nanoparticles produced were spherical and in the range of 30-89 nm, and the most effective group of agents that played a role in its production were the hydroxyl group (O-H) and alkene compounds (C=C), and the concentration of biosynthetic nanoparticles was 2.25 mg/liter indicates a high concentration of synthesized nanowires. The results of MIC and MBC tests were the same and its concentration was 2000 μg/ml.

The results of this research showed that the biosynthetic nanoparticle obtained from Ephedra Intermedia is more effective in inhibiting the growth of bacteria than the commercial nanoparticle, so it can be used as an alternative in pharmaceutical, medical and disinfectant applications.