SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF SILVER NANOPARTICLES MEDIATED BY THE Mentha piperita LEAVES EXTRACT AND EXPLORATION OF ITS ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITIES

Medicinal use of nanotechnology included a significant contribution from the antibacterial activity of biologically produced silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). Scientists investigated an efficient and environmentally friendly way to make silver nanoparticles by extracting Mentha piperita leaves as well as using their antimicrobial properties. Green synthesis method was used to produce AgNps from extract of mint plant and characterization was done by XRD, SEM and UV Visible Spectroscopy. A peak at 440 nm, which corresponds to the plasmon absorbance of silver nanoparticles, was evident in the UV -visible spectra of the solution containing AgNPs. Scanning electron microscopy observed that the nanoparticles were spherical in shape and ranged in size from 20 to 50 nm. The planes (111), (200), and (220) were found using the XRD patterns and value 0f 2 theta: 38.5(0), 46.3(0) and 64.7(0) are observed. The silver nanoparticle's existence was verified by the face -centered cubic (FCC). Silver nanoparticles were found to have antibacterial efficacy against both gram -positive Staphylococcus and gram -negative bacteria such Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella Aerogenes, Salmonella, Staphylococcus and E. coli. The antibacterial activity of silver nanoparticles against bacterial strains were observed using the agar well diffusion (AWD) method at three different concentrations (100 mu gml(-1), 75 mu gml(-1), and 50 mu gml(-1)). The zone of inhibition measured against the bacterial strains pseudomonas Aeruginosa, Klebsiella aerogenes, E. coli, Salmonella and Staphylococcus which were (18.7 +/- 1.25mm, 16.5 +/- 0.74mm, 14.0 +/- 1.25mm), (16.3 +/- 0.96mm, 14.5 +/- 0.76mm, 14.0 +/- 1.15mm), (16 +/- 0.76mm, 14.4 +/- 0.66mm, 14.0 +/- 1.15mm), (16.5 +/- 0.67mm, 14.5 +/- 0.23mm, 12.6 +/- 0.78mm) and (110.2 +/- 0.68mm, 8.8 +/- 0.20mm, 7.0 +/- 0.15mm). These nanoparticles' potent antibacterial properties may enable them to be employed as nanomedicines for a variety of gram -negative bacterial illness treatments.