Cultivar-Dependent Anticancer and Antibacterial Properties of Silver Nanoparticles Synthesized Using Leaves of Different Olea Europaea Trees

Abstract

The green synthesis of nanoparticles (NPs) is currently under worldwide investigation as an eco-friendly alternative to traditional routes (NPs): the absence of toxic solvents and catalysts make it suitable in the design of promising nanomaterials for nanomedicine applications. In this work, we used the extracts collected from leaves of two cultivars (Leccino and Carolea) belonging to the species Olea Europaea, to synthesize silver NPs (AgNPs) in different pH conditions and low temperature. NPs underwent full morphological characterization with the aim to define a suitable protocol to obtain a monodispersed population of AgNPs. Afterwards, to validate the reproducibility of the mentioned synthetic procedure, we moved on to another Mediterranean plant, the Laurus Nobilis. Interestingly, the NPs obtained using the two olive cultivars produced NPs with different shape and size, strictly depending on the cultivar selected and pH. Furthermore, the potential ability to inhibit the growth of two woman cancer cells (breast adenocarcinoma cells, MCF-7 and human cervical epithelioid carcinoma, HeLa) were assessed for these AgNPs, as well as their capability to mitigate the bacteria concentration in samples of contaminated well water. Our results showed that toxicity was stronger when MCF-7 and Hela cells were exposed to AgNPs derived from Carolea obtained at pH 7 presenting irregular shape; on the other hand, greater antibacterial effect was revealed using AgNPs obtained at pH 8 (smaller and monodispersed) on well water, enriched with bacteria and coliforms.

The double effect of walnut septum extract (Juglans regia L.) counteracts A172 glioblastoma cell survival and bacterial growth

“…The development of innovative treatments and novel therapeutic strategies are areas of active research, aimed at improving the quality of life and life expectancy of patients with cancer (16)(17)(18)(19)(20). However, despite the enormous progress in this field, even with the introduction of immunotherapy (21), brain tumors are still associated with high mortality rates (22).…”

Green Plasmonic Nanoparticles and Bio-Inspired Stimuli-Responsive Vesicles in Cancer Therapy Application

“…Two different leaf extracts derived from Leccino and Carolea cultivar of Olea Europaea were used to synthesise Ag NPs. The different sizes obtained (10-60 nm) were dependent on cultivar used, showing a strong antibacterial activity on total faecal coliforms present in well waters [72].…”

Phytogenic Synthesis of Pd-Ag/rGO Nanostructures Using Stevia Leaf Extract for Photocatalytic H2 Production and Antibacterial Studies

“…This effect occurs when the frequency of the incident light matches the band gap between oscillating electrons and positive nuclei. Moreover, if the metal nanomaterial is optically active, it acts as a photosensitizer that can enhance photocatalytic activity due to the SPR [ 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 ].…”