Silver has long been valued as a precious metal, and it is used to make ornaments, jewelry, high-value tableware, utensils, and currency coins. Human exposures to silver and silver compounds can occur oral, dermal, or by inhalation. In this study, we investigated genotoxic and oxidative effects of silver exposure among silver jewelry workers. DNA damage in peripheral mononuclear leukocytes was measured by using the comet assay. Serum total antioxidative status (TAS), total oxidative status (TOS), total thiol contents, and ceruloplasmin levels were measured by using colorimetric methods among silver jewelry workers. Moreover, oxidative stress index (OSI) was calculated. Results were compared with non-exposed healthy subjects. The mean values of mononuclear leukocyte DNA damage were significantly higher than control subjects (p < 0.001). Serum TOS, OSI, and ceruloplasmin levels were also found to be higher in silver particles exposed group than those of non-exposed group (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, p < 0.01, respectively). However, serum TAS levels and total thiol contents of silver exposed group were found significantly lower (p < 0.05, p < 0.001, respectively). Exposure to silver particles among silver jewelry workers caused oxidative stress and accumulation of severe DNA damage.

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Researchers are of great interest in the synthesis of nanostructures of biological origin due to their unique properties. The advantages of the biological method are that it is environmentally friendly, fast and easy to synthesize. In this study, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were synthesized using Hawthorn-Crataegus monogyna (CM) fruit extract. Characterization of AuNPs from fruit extract were performed by Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM), UV-visible Spectrophotometer (UV-vis.), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-Ray Diffraction Diffractometry (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Zeta-size and potential analysis. Antimicrobial activities of synthesized AuNPs were evaluated on gram positive and gram negative bacteria and fungal strains using minimum inhibition technique. According to the findings of the study, it was determined that AuNPs synthesized from the CM plant showed strong antimicrobial activity.

Cyclotricium origanifolium is a plant belonging to the Lamiaceae family and is a species that grows in the Western and Southern Anatolian regions of Turkey. In our study, the antimicrobial activities of silver nanoparticles (AgNP) were investigated through Cyclotricium origanifolium plant extract. Characterization processes of the obtained AgNPs, suitable spectral analysis methods; Uv-Vis was determined by FT-IR, SEM-EDX, XRD. According to the results of the analysis, it was determined that the AgNPs were spherical in shape and had an average diameter of 17.60 nm. The antimicrobial effect of AgNPs was determined by the minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) method. Gram positive as test microorganisms; Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis and gram negative; Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria, and Candida albicans fungal pathogen species were used. The suppression of microorganism growth was investigated by comparing the efficacy of standard antibiotics used in our study with AgNPs produced by the green synthesis method. It has been observed that the obtained AgNPs have a very strong effect on gram-positive B. subtilis and gram-negative E. coli bacteria, and are more effective against C. albicans than the normal antifungal drug. It was determined that the antimicrobial activity of AgNPs produced from C. origanifolium L. plants showed a stronger effect than standard antibiotics.

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