Sustainable synthesis of silver nanoparticles from Canna edulis for eco- friendly applications and their phytochemical and antimicrobial assessment

The increasing demand for eco-friendly and sustainable methods in nanotechnology has shifted focus towards biological routes for synthesizing nanoparticles. This study highlights the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using the plant extract of Canna edulis, a process that avoids the use of hazardous chemicals. The synthesized AgNPs were characterized for their phytochemical content and evaluated for their antimicrobial properties. Canna edulis is an erect herbaceous perennial plant producing clumps of stems with large leaves. The present research was done on Canna edulis, where silver nanoparticles were prepared from the extract of leaves and petals. The leaf extracts showed a greater zone of inhibition against E. coli (18±2mm) followed by Salmonella spp. and Klebsiella spp. (17±1mm), then Pseudomonas spp. and Staphylococcus aureus (15±1mm). The petal extract of Canna edulis was more effective against Salmonella spp. and Pseudomonas spp. with a 15±3mm zone of inhibition followed by Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella spp. (14±2mm) and the E. coli (12±2mm). The characterization of nanoparticles of the extract showed the optimum density from which the maximum peak was obtained at 400nm for leaf and 420nm for the petal respectively. The phytochemical analysis of the leaf extract of Canna edulis concluded that alkaloids were present in good concentration whereas in petal extract flavonoids and phenolic compounds gave strong positive results.