Green Synthesis of Uncoated and Olive Leaf Extract-Coated Silver Nanoparticles: Sunlight Photocatalytic, Antiparasitic, and Antifungal Activities

Abstract

The circular economy, which attempts to decrease agricultural waste while also improving sustainable development through the production of sustainable products from waste and by-products, is currently one of the main objectives of environmental research. Taking this view, this study used a green approach to synthesize two forms of silver nanoparticles: coated silver nanoparticles with olive leaf extract (Ag-olive) and uncoated pure silver nanoparticles (Ag-pure), which were produced by the calcination of Ag-olive at 550 °C. The extract and the fabricated nanoparticles were characterized by a variety of physicochemical techniques, including high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Adult ticks (Hyalomma dromedarii) (Acari: Ixodidae) were used in this study to evaluate the antiparasitic activity of synthesized nanoparticles and extract. Furthermore, the antifungal activity was evaluated against Aspergillus aculeatus strain N (MW958085), Fuserium oxysporum (MT550034), and Alternaria tenuissiuma (MT550036). In both antiparasitic and antifungal tests, the as-synthesized Ag-olive showed higher inhibition activity than Ag-pure and olive leaf extract. The findings of this research suggest that Ag-olive may be a powerful and eco-friendly antiparasitic and antifungal agent. Ag-pure was also evaluated as a photocatalyst under sunlight for the detoxification of Eri-chrome-black T (EBT), methylene blue (MB), methyl orange (MO), and rhodamine B (RhB).