Biogenic Synthesis of Silver and Iron Oxide Nanoparticles Using Aronia prunifolia Leaf Extract and Its Inhibitory Action Against Pathogenic Fungi

Abstract

Because of the environment and abundant renewable resources, exploiting plant extracts to form metallic nanoparticles has become a promising alternative to chemical and physical methods. Numerous studies have shown that nanoparticles of silver (AgNPs) and iron oxide (Fe2O3NPs) have inhibitory effects against pathogenic fungi. In this study, we used the leaf extract of Aronia prunifolia to generate biogenic AgNPs and FeNPs, aiming to demonstrate the impact of nanoparticles on pathogenic fungi. Nanoparticles are characterized by UV-Vis, X-ray diffraction, EDX spectrum, and SEM techniques. Leaf extracts used for nanosynthesis yielded silver and iron oxide nanoparticles with distinct color changes and absorption peaks, showcasing tetragonal, pentagonal, and hexagonal shapes (15-50 nm) for silver and spherical morphology (16-60 nm) for iron oxide. The antifungal effectiveness of nanoparticles against Aspergillus fumigatus, Rhizoctonia solani Ag4 HgII, and Aspergillus flavus was investigated using a well diffusion method. Inhibition zones, ranging from 12.5 to 35.0 mm for AgNPs and 7.1 to 17.1 mm for FeNPs at concentrations of 10 to 30 µg/ml respectively, demonstrated the superior inhibitory potential of AgNPs over FeNPs. This study aims to address a gap in the literature by examining the inhibitory effects of green AgNPs and FeNPs on pathogenic fungi. Encased nanoparticles can be very useful in treating fungal infections; this will be the first investigation into the production of nanoparticles from A. prunifolia leaves.