Assessment of in vitro biopotency of bioderived silver nanoparticles from Aegle marmelos (L.) fruit extract

Aegle marmelos (L.) or bael commonly known as wood apple, is rich in bioactive compounds has diverse pharmacological importance and is widely employed for the synthesis of green nanoparticles. The current study aims to evaluate the phytochemical components of A. marmelos (L.) by biochemical assays and its antioxidant activity. Further, silver nanoparticles synthesized from A. marmelos (L.) fruit extract exhibited antibacterial effect against pathogens such as Micrococcus luteus, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterococcus faecalis. The phytochemical screening revealed the phytochemicals such as saponins, flavonoids, alkaloids, phenols, and tannins. UV–Vis spectrophotometry confirms silver ions in the biosynthesized nanoparticles. Further, FT-IR revealed the chemical bonds of alkanes, amines, alcohols, and alkenes. Bioderived silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) showed the highest inhibitory activity against Staphylococcus aureus (29.33 ± 1.59 mm) followed by Enterococcus faecalis (20.14 ± 1.5 mm), Micrococcus luteus (19.33 ± 1.3 mm), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (16.23 ± 1.2 mm), and Escherichia coli (16.13 ± 1.5 mm) at the concentration of 100 µl the highest. The antioxidant activity of different concentrations (25, 50, 100, and 200 µl) of biosynthesized AgNPs were 40%, 46%, 57%, and 61%, respectively. The cytotoxic effect of bioderived nanoparticles on VERO cell lines by MTT assay showed increased cytotoxicity with an increase in concentration and the highest IC50 value recorded at 1000 µg/ml. These results indicate that the bioactive components of A. marmelos (L.) fruit extract exhibited potential antioxidant activity. Bioactive silver nanoparticles showed the highest antibacterial prospects that can be exploited in new drug and antiseptic lotion formulations of herbal origin with sustainable synthesis and application.