Abstract
The current work reports the biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using the antimicrobial activities of ethyl acetate extract of
Urtica diocia
(UD) leaves as a reducing and capping agent. The synthesized UD-AgNPs were characterized using UV–visible spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and dynamic light scattering (DLS). The UD-AgNPs were evaluated against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, and their size, shape, and distribution were recorded. The average size of an NP was 19.401 nm. The zone of inhibition (ZOI) for 75 µL of UD-AgNPs against
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
(
P. aeruginosa
) was 21 ± 0.4 mm more than that of the control drug Ciprofloxacin (16 ± 10 mm). The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was the lowest against
Escherichia coli
(
E. coli
) (36 ± 3 µg/mL) and
Staphylococcus
epidermidis (S. epidermidis)
(38 ± 3 µg/mL). Moreover, the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) was the lowest against
E.
coli
(75 ± 00 µg/mL) and
Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis
(83 ± 16 µg/mL). Thus, the UD-AgNPs synthesized using the ethyl acetate extract of UD can be used as a new antimicrobial drug.