Harnessing Homalomena aromatica for green synthesis of AgNPs and unveiling therapeutic antioxidant and antibacterial activities

Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using Homalomena aromatica leaf extract as a reducing agent has garnered interest due to its eco-friendly nature and broad applications, particularly in molecular medicine. This study synthesized and characterized AgNPs, denoted as HAL-AgNPs, evidenced by a color change and a UV–VIS absorption peak at 430 nm. FESEM revealed spherical HAL-AgNPs with sizes between 22 and 60 nm, while TEM showed various shapes, averaging 19.43 nm. XRD confirmed a face-centered cubic crystalline structure with a crystallite size of 26.92 nm. FTIR analysis identified functional groups responsible for nanoparticle stabilization. DLS indicated a hydrodynamic diameter of 92.06 nm and a Zeta potential of −27.50 mV. HAL-AgNPs demonstrated significant antibacterial activity against Gram-positive (B. subtilis, S. aureus) and Gram-negative bacteria (E. coli, P. aeruginosa), with MICs ranging from 4.375 to 17.5 µg/mL. Additionally, HAL-AgNPs exhibited strong in vitro antioxidant activities, including DPPH, hydrogen peroxide scavenging, reducing power, and metal chelating activities. This cost-effective synthesis method produces stable, bioactive HAL-AgNPs, offering potential applications in molecular medicine as antibacterial agents against multidrug-resistant bacteria and as alternatives to synthetic antioxidants.