Green synthesis of multifunctional silver and gold nanoparticles from the oriental herbal adaptogen: Siberian ginseng

Abstract

Pharmacologically active stem of the oriental herbal adaptogen, Siberian ginseng, was employed for the ecofriendly synthesis of Siberian ginseng silver nanoparticles (Sg-AgNPs) and Siberian ginseng gold nanoparticles (Sg-AuNPs). First, for metabolic characterization of the sample, liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis (indicated the presence of eleutherosides A and E), total phenol content, and total reducing sugar were analyzed. Second, the water extract of the sample mediated the biological synthesis of both Sg-AgNPs and Sg-AuNPs that were crystalline face-centered cubical structures with a Z-average hydrodynamic diameter of 126 and 189 nm, respectively. Moreover, Fourier transform infrared analysis indicated that proteins and aromatic hydrocarbons play a key role in the formation and stabilization of Sg-AgNPs, whereas phenolic compounds accounted for the synthesis and stability of Sg-AuNPs. 3-(4,5-Dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay determined that Sg-AgNPs conferred strong cytotoxicity against MCF7 (human breast cancer cell line) and was only slightly toxic to HaCaT (human keratinocyte cell line) at 10 µg⋅mL⁻¹. However, Sg-AuNPs did not display cytotoxic effects against both of the cell lines. The disc diffusion assay indicated a dose-dependent increase in the zone of inhibition of Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 6538), Bacillus anthracis (NCTC 10340), Vibrio parahaemolyticus (ATCC 33844), and Escherichia coli (BL21) treated with Sg-AgNPs, whereas Sg-AuNPs did not show inhibitory activity. In addition, the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl assay demonstrated that both Sg-AgNPs and Sg-AuNPs possess strong antioxidant activity. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report unraveling the potential of Eleutherococcus senticosus for silver and gold nanoparticle synthesis along with its biological applications, which in turn would promote widespread usage of the endemic Siberian ginseng.

Keywords:

• Siberian ginseng
• eleutheroside E
• eleutheroside A
• green synthesis
• cytotoxicity
• antibacterial activity
• antioxidant efficacy

Supplementary material

Figure S1 The disc diffusion method demonstrates the effects of various concentrations of biosynthesized nanoparticles.

Notes: The effects of various concentrations (10, 20, and 30 µg⋅mL⁻¹) of biosynthesized nanoparticles on the gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus (Sg-AgNPs [A] and Sg-AuNPs [B]) and Bacillus anthracis (Sg-AgNPs [C] and Sg-AuNPs [D]). Similarly, their antibacterial effect was tested on gram-negative Vibrio parahaemolyticus (Sg-AgNPs [E] and Sg-AuNPs [F]) and Escherichia coli (Sg-AgNPs [G] and Sg-AuNPs [H]). In the case of Sg-AgNPs, the zone of inhibition increased with an increase in the concentration of nanoparticles, whereas Sg-AuNPs did not show any antibacterial activity in the selected concentration range.

Abbreviations: Sg-AgNPs, Siberian ginseng silver nanoparticles; Sg-AuNPs, Siberian ginseng gold nanoparticles.

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the Korea Institute of Planning & Evaluation for Technology in Food, Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries (KIPET number: 313038-03-2-SB010), Republic of Korea, and also supported from a grant from the Next-Generation BioGreen 21 Program (SSAC, grant number: PJ0120342016), Rural Development Administration, Republic of Korea.

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.