Biosynthesis of Biocompatible AgNPs Using Medicinally Important Carduus edelbergii Rech.f. Extract for Multifarious Biological Activities

In current scenario, plant-mediated synthesis of nanoparticles has received significant interest owing to its cost-effectiveness and eco-friendly methods. This study was planned to find the potential of Carduus edelbergii Rech.f. extract for the fabrication of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and their subsequent antibacterial, antifungal, cytotoxic, and antioxidant activities. The prepared plant extract was analyzed for phytochemicals, elements, and nutrients. The fabricated AgNPs were characterized by spectroscopy (UV-Vis), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The synthesized AgNPs and the Carduus edelbergii extract were investigated for their antioxidant, antibacterial, cytotoxic, and antifungal characteristics. The results showed that the plant extract contains a wide range of important nutrients and secondary metabolites. The synthesized AgNPs were crystalline and globular with an average diameter of 36.5 nm and exhibited a localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) peak at roughly 420 nm. As compared to Carduus edelbergii extract, the phytofabricated AgNPs had an increased antioxidant and cytotoxic efficacy. The AgNPs showed substantial antibacterial action against Gram-positive (Staphylococcus epidermis and Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative (Klebsiella aerogenes and Escherichia coli) bacteria. The findings revealed that the phytofabricated AgNPs could be an effective antioxidant, antibacterial, and antifungal for treatment of medical conditions.