Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles from Lotus corniculatus flower extract and assessment of their biological activity

Nanoparticles produced from plants via the process of green synthesis exhibit a high degree of biological activity. In the present study, the biological activities of extracts obtained from the flower parts of the Lotus corniculatus plant and silver nanoparticles produced and characterised from these extracts were determined. In the characterisation studies of silver nanoparticles produced via green synthesis, a range of analytical techniques were employed, including UV-VIS, FT-IR spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray energy dispersive (EDX) and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) analyses. The antioxidant activity values of flower extracts and silver nanoparticles obtained from these extracts were determined using DPPH radical scavenging activity, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC) antioxidant activity tests. In each of the antioxidant activity tests conducted, silver nanoparticles exhibited higher levels of antioxidant activity in comparison to flower extracts. Furthermore, it was observed that both flower extract and silver nanoparticles exhibited significant α-glucosidase enzyme inhibition activity, with the activity level exhibited by silver nanoparticles being notably higher. An evaluation was carried out in which the antibiofilm activity and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of Lotus corniculatus flower extract and silver nanoparticles were analysed. It was determined that silver nanoparticles exhibited higher activity.