Biosynthesis and Characterization of Silver Nanoparticles produced by Phormidium ambiguum and Desertifilum tharense

Abstract

The world faces a challenge with pervasion of multidrug resistant bacteria which encouraged the scientists to develop and discover alternative ecofriendly and easy to produce new antibacterial agents. Two Egyptian cyanobacteria were isolated and identified according to 16S rRNA gene sequencing as Phormidium ambiguum and Desertifilum tharense . The sequences were deposited in the GenBank with accession numbers of MW762709 and MW762710 for Desertifilum tharense and Phormidium ambiguum, respectively. These isolates have the ability to produce silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) extra- and intracellularly under light and dark conditions. The results of UV-Vis analysis showed promising extracellular Ag-NPs synthesis by Desertifilum tharense and Phormidium ambiguum under light conditions. Therefore, these Ag-NPs were characterized and evaluated for antibacterial and antioxidant activity. TEM, SEM and XRD analyses revealed the spherical crystals with face-centered cubic structures and size range of 6.24–11.4 nm and 6.46–12.2 nm for Ag-NPs of Desertifilum tharense and Phormidium ambiguum , respectively. XRD and EDX results clearly confirmed the successful synthesis of Ag-NPs in its oxide form or chloride form. The FTIR spectrum data confirmed the presence of hydroxyl and amide groups. Desertifilum tharense Ag-NPs displayed the largest inhibition zone ranged from 9 mm against Micrococcus luteus ATCC 10240 to 25 mm against methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA) ATCC 43300. For Phormidium ambiguum Ag-NPs, the inhibition zone diameter was in a range of 9–18 mm. The Ag-NPs of Phormidium ambiguum exhibited the highest scavenging activity of 48.7% comparing with that of Desertifilum tharense which displayed 43.753%.