Ajwa-Dates (Phoenix dactylifera)-Mediated Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles and Their Anti-Bacterial, Anti-Biofilm, and Cytotoxic Potential

Abstract

Green nanotechnology is the evolution of cost-effective and environmentally friendly processes for the production of metal-based nanoparticles due to medicinal importance and economic value. The aim of the present study was to biosynthesize and characterize silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using the seed extract of Ajwa dates (Aw). The anti-bacteriostatic activity of biosynthesized Aw–AgNPs against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains was evaluated. The anti-biofilm activity was examined by the tissue culture plate method. Lastly, the anti-cancer potential of Aw–AgNPs was investigated against the human breast cancer cell line HCC712. UV–visible absorption spectra exhibited the plasmon resonance peak at 430 nm, with the solution undergoing rapid color changes that verified the existence of biosynthesized silver nanoparticles in the solution. TEM and SEM images illustrated that the Aw–AgNPs were spherical and between 15 and 80 nm in diameter. The reduction and stabilization of Aw–AgNPs was due to the functional groups present in the biomolecules of the Ajwa seeds, as identified by FTIR. The Aw–AgNPs exhibited significant anti-bacterial activity against all the tested bacterial strains. Moreover, the Aw–AgNPs efficiently hampered the biofilm formation of the bacterial strains and exhibited cytotoxicity at various concentrations. Overall, these findings suggest that biosynthesized Aw–AgNPs may be used as a potential therapeutic formulation against bacterial infections and breast cancer.

Antioxidant and Anticancer Assessment and Phytochemical Investigation of Three Varieties of Date Fruits

“…Phoenix dactylifera L. includes phenolic acids, carotene, polyphenols, anthocyanins, and tannins, among other phytochemicals. Another investigation on the phenolic content of Ajwa dates reported the existence of three significant phenols in pharmacology: catechin, caffeic acid, and rutin [ 84 , 85 , 86 , 87 ]. Therefore, the anticancer activities reported might be attributed to the incidence of flavonoids and phenolics in dates, which are high in phenolic compounds [ 14 ].…”

Hydrothermal Synthesis of Multifunctional Bimetallic Ag-CuO Nanohybrids and Their Antimicrobial, Antibiofilm and Antiproliferative Potential

“…Based on the antimicrobial results, Ag-C-1 and Ag-C-3 were selected to investigate their antibiofilm potential against E. coli and C. albicans in a polystyrene 96-well microtiter tissue culture plate, as method described by Allemailem et al [ 34 ].…”

Nanotechnology in Food and Plant Science: Challenges and Future Prospects

“…Green synthesized Ag and ZnO NPs are the most explored nanomaterials studied for the prevention of bacterial growth and the production of biofilms. It has been reported that AgNPs synthesized by green methods using different parts of plant extracts significantly inhibit the growth of E. coli, P. aeruginosa, S. aurous, B. cereus, and K. pneumonia, and also inhibit biofilm formation [203][204][205]. In another study, it was found that biologically synthesized ZnO NPs enhanced the antimicrobial activity and inhibited the biofilm formation by E. coli and S. aureus [206,207].…”