Eco-friendly fabrication of Ag and Zn-Ag nanoparticles using Aegle marmelos leaf extract: Characterization, antibacterial and antioxidant potential

This study reports the synthesis of Ag nanoparticles (NPs) and Zn-doped AgNPs using Aegle marmelos leaf extract. UV-Vis, XRD, FTIR, SEM-EDS, and TEM were used to characterize the synthesized NPs. UV-Vis analysis revealed surface plasmon resonance, while XRD confirmed a face-centered cubic crystalline structure. TEM imaging demonstrated irregular spherical morphology with particle sizes of 27.35 nm and 18.21 nm for AgNPs and Zn-doped AgNPs, respectively. FTIR analysis indicated the presence of diverse functional groups corresponding to phenols, flavonoids, and proteins that facilitated the reduction and stabilization of NPs. The NPs exhibited potent antibacterial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative strains, with minimum inhibitory concentrations ranging between 40–120 µg/mL (AgNPs) and 80–120 µg/mL (Zn-AgNPs). The synthesized NPs effectively scavenged DPPH and ABTS radicals with IC 50 between 61.16 µg/mL and 96.84 µg/mL. These findings demonstrate that this eco-friendly approach yields biocompatible NPs with antibacterial and antioxidant potential. In the future, mechanistic and toxicity studies are needed to validate the potential of the NPs.