Extracellular biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles using the fungus Fusarium oxysporum

Genus-wide physicochemical evidence of extracellular crystalline silver nanoparticles biosynthesis by Morganella spp

This study was performed to determine whether extracellular silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) production is a genus-wide phenotype associated with all the members of genus Morganella, or only Morganella morganii RP-42 isolate is able to synthesize extracellular Ag nanoparticles. To undertake this study, all the available Morganella isolates were exposed to Ag⁺ ions, and the obtained nanoproducts were thoroughly analyzed using physico-chemical characterization tools such as transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV-visible spectrophotometry (UV-vis), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. It was identified that extracellular biosynthesis of crystalline silver nanoparticles is a unique biochemical character of all the members of genus Morganella, which was found independent of environmental changes. Significantly, the inability of other closely related members of the family Enterobacteriaceae towards AgNPs synthesis strongly suggests that AgNPs synthesis in the presence of Ag⁺ ions is a phenotypic character that is uniquely associated with genus Morganella.

Ellagic acid promoted biomimetic synthesis of shape-controlled silver nanochains

In this work, ellagic acid (EA), a naturally occurring plant polyphenol, was utilized for the biomimetic synthesis of silver (Ag) nanoparticles, which over a period of time formed extended branched nanochains of hexagonal-shaped silver nanoparticles. It was found that EA not only has the capability of reducing silver ions, resulting in the formation of Ag nanoparticles, due to its extended polyphenolic system, but also appears to recognize and affect the Ag nanocrystal growth on the (111) face, leading to the formation of hexagon-shaped Ag nanocrystals. Initially, various Ag nanocrystal shapes were observed; however, over a longer period of time, a majority of hexagonal-shaped nanocrystals were formed. Although the exact mechanism of formation of the nanocrystals is not known, it appears that EA attaches to the silver nuclei, leading to lower surface energy of the (111) face. Further, the nanocrystals fuse together, forming interfaces among the aggregates, and, with time, those interfaces become lesser, and the nanoparticles merge together and share the same single crystallographic orientation, which leads to the formation of long elongated chains of hexagonal nanoparticles. This biomimetic approach may be developed as a green synthetic method to prepare building blocks with tunable properties for the development of nanodevices. Further, we explored the antibacterial properties and found that the tandem of EA-Ag nanochains substantially enhanced the antibacterial properties of both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria compared to silver nanoparticles or EA alone. Additionally, the materials were also utilized for imaging of mammalian NRK (normal rat kidney) cells.

WITHDRAWN: Biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles: Parameter optimization using response surface method

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Transmission electron microscopy for elucidating the impact of silver-based treatments (ionic silver versus nanosilver-containing coating) on the model yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

After exposure to ionic silver or nanosilver-containing plasma coating, the same visual aspect of scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) images was observed for the model yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The main common feature was the presence of electron-dense nodules all over the cell. However, high resolution TEM (HRTEM), STEM, energy dispersive x-ray microanalysis spectroscopy (EDS) and electron microdiffraction revealed some striking differences. Regarding ionic silver exposure, the formation of electron-dense nodules was related to the Ag(+) reactivity towards sulfur-containing compounds to form clusters with Ag(2)S-like structures, together with the production of a few silver nanocrystals, mainly at the cell wall periphery. For nanosilver-based treatment, some sulfur-containing silver clusters preferentially located at the cell wall periphery were detected, together with nodules composed of silver, sulfur and phosphorus all over the cell. In both silver-based treatments, nitrogen and silver signals overlapped, confirming the affinity of silver entities for proteinaceous compounds. Moreover, in the case of nanosilver, interactions of silver with phosphorus-containing subcellular structures were indicated.

Synthesis of gold and silver nanoparticles using purified URAK

This study aims at developing a new eco-friendly process for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) using purified URAK. URAK is a fibrinolytic enzyme produced by Bacillus cereus NK1. The enzyme was purified and used for the synthesis of AuNPs and AgNPs. The enzyme produced AgNPs when incubated with 1 mM AgNO3 for 24 h and AuNPs when incubated with 1 mM HAuCl4 for 60 h. But when NaOH was added, the synthesis was rapid and occurred within 5 min for AgNPs and 12 h for AuNPs. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by a peak at 440 nm and 550 nm in the UV-visible spectrum. TEM analysis showed that AgNPs of the size 60 nm and AuNPs of size 20 nm were synthesized. XRD confirmed the crystalline nature of the nanoparticles and AFM showed the morphology of the nanoparticle to be spherical. FT-IR showed that protein was responsible for the synthesis of the nanoparticles. This process is highly simple, versatile and produces AgNPs and AuNPs in environmental friendly manner. Moreover, the synthesized nanoparticles were found to contain immobilized enzyme. Also, URAK was tested on RAW 264.7 macrophage cell line and was found to be non-cytotoxic until 100 μg/ml.

Murraya Koenigii leaf-assisted rapid green synthesis of silver and gold nanoparticles

A facile bottom-up 'green' and rapid synthetic route using Murraya Koenigii leaf extract as reducing and stabilizing agent produced silver nanoparticles at ambient conditions and gold nanoparticles at 373 K. The nanoparticles were characterized using UV-vis, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and FTIR analysis. This method allows the synthesis of well-dispersed silver and gold nanoparticles having size ∼10 nm and ∼20 nm, respectively. Silver nanoparticles with size ∼10 nm having symmetric SPR band centered at 411 nm is obtained within 5 min of addition of the extract to the solution of AgNO3 at room temperature. Nearly spherical gold nanoparticles having size ∼20 nm with SPR at 532 nm is obtained on adding the leaf extract to the boiling solution of HAuCl4. Crystallinity of the nanoparticles is confirmed from the high-resolution TEM images, selected area electron diffraction (SAED) and XRD patterns. From the FTIR spectra it is found that the biomolecules responsible for capping are different in gold and silver nanoparticles. A comparison of the present work with the author's earlier reports on biosynthesis is also included.

Extracellular biosynthesis and characterization of silver nanoparticles using Aspergillus flavus NJP08: a mechanism perspective

The present study demonstrates an eco-friendly and low cost protocol for synthesis of silver nanoparticles using the cell-free filtrate of Aspergillus flavus NJP08 when supplied with aqueous silver (Ag+) ions. Identification of the fungal isolate was based on nuclear ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) identities. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) revealed the formation of spherical metallic silver nanoparticles. The average particle size calculated using Dynamic Light Scattering measurements (DLS) was found to be 17±5.9 nm. UV-Visible and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy confirmed the presence of extracellular proteins. SDS-PAGE profiles of the extracellular proteins showed the presence of two intense bands of 32 and 35 kDa, responsible for the synthesis and stability of silver nanoparticles, respectively. A probable mechanism behind the biosynthesis is discussed, which leads to the possibility of using the present protocol in future "nano-factories".

Bacterial kinetics-controlled shape-directed biosynthesis of silver nanoplates using Morganella psychrotolerans

We show for the first time that by controlling the growth kinetics of Morganella psychrotolerans, a silver-resistant psychrophilic bacterium, the shape anisotropy of silver nanoparticles can be achieved. This is particularly important considering that there has been no report that demonstrates a control over shape of Ag nanoparticles by controlling the growth kinetics of bacteria during biological synthesis. Additionally, we have for the first time performed electrochemistry experiments on bacterial cells after exposing them to Ag(+) ions, which provide significant new insights about mechanistic aspects of Ag reduction by bacteria. The possibility to achieve nanoparticle shape control by using a "green" biosynthesis approach is expected to open up new exciting avenues for eco-friendly, large-scale, and economically viable shape-controlled synthesis of nanomaterials.

Biosynthesis of iron and silver nanoparticles at room temperature using aqueous sorghum bran extracts

Iron and silver nanoparticles were synthesized using a rapid, single step, and completely green biosynthetic method employing aqueous sorghum extracts as both the reducing and capping agent. Silver ions were rapidly reduced by the aqueous sorghum bran extracts, leading to the formation of highly crystalline silver nanoparticles with an average diameter of 10 nm. The diffraction peaks were indexed to the face-centered cubic (fcc) phase of silver. The absorption spectra of colloidal silver nanoparticles showed a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) peak centered at a wavelength of 390 nm. Amorphous iron nanoparticles with an average diameter of 50 nm were formed instantaneously under ambient conditions. The reactivity of iron nanoparticles was tested by the H(2)O(2)-catalyzed degradation of bromothymol blue as a model organic contaminant.

Biosynthesis of Nanoparticles by Microorganisms and Their Applications

The development of eco-friendly technologies in material synthesis is of considerable importance to expand their biological applications. Nowadays, a variety of inorganic nanoparticles with well-defined chemical composition, size, and morphology have been synthesized by using different microorganisms, and their applications in many cutting-edge technological areas have been explored. This paper highlights the recent developments of the biosynthesis of inorganic nanoparticles including metallic nanoparticles, oxide nanoparticles, sulfide nanoparticles, and other typical nanoparticles. Different formation mechanisms of these nanoparticles will be discussed as well. The conditions to control the size/shape and stability of particles are summarized. The applications of these biosynthesized nanoparticles in a wide spectrum of potential areas are presented including targeted drug delivery, cancer treatment, gene therapy and DNA analysis, antibacterial agents, biosensors, enhancing reaction rates, separation science, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The current limitations and future prospects for the synthesis of inorganic nanoparticles by microorganisms are discussed.

As(V) removal using carbonized yeast cells containing silver nanoparticles

The present study involves the development of adsorbent containing silver nanoparticles for arsenate removal using silver reducing property of a novel yeast strain Saccharomyces cerevisiae BU-MBT-CY1 isolated from coconut cell sap. Biological reduction of silver by the isolate was deduced at various time intervals. The yeast cells after biological silver reduction were harvested and subjected to carbonization at 400 °C for 1 h and its properties were analyzed using Fourier Transform Infra-Red spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope attached with energy dispersive spectroscopy and transmission electron microscope. The average size of the silver nanoparticles present on the surface of the carbonized silver containing yeast cells (CSY) was 19 ± 9 nm. The carbonized control yeast cells (CCY) did not contain any particles on its surface. As(V) adsorption efficiency of CCY and CSY was deduced in batch mode by varying parameters like contact time, initial concentration, and pH. Desorption studies were also carried out by varying the pH. The experimental data were fitted onto Langmuir and D-R Isotherms and Lagergren and pseudo second order kinetic models. The CSY was more efficient in arsenate removal when compared to CCY.

Synthesis of nanoparticles by microorganisms and their application in enhancing microbiological reaction rates

Nanotechnology has attracted a great interest in recent years due to its expected impact on many areas such as energy, medicine, electronics, and space industries. This review provides the state-of-art knowledge on the synthesis of nanoparticles by microorganisms including bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes, and yeast, and their effect on microbiological processes. The available microbes and their predicted nanoparticle biosynthesis mechanism, the conditions to control the size/shape and monodispersity of particles, and microbiological reaction rate enhancement using nanoparticles as catalysts are presented. The current limitations and future scope for specific research are also discussed.

Mangifera indica leaf-assisted biosynthesis of well-dispersed silver nanoparticles

The use of various parts of plants for the synthesis of nanoparticles is considered as a green technology as it does not involve any harmful chemicals. The present study reports a facile and rapid biosynthesis of well-dispersed silver nanoparticles. The method developed is environmentally friendly and allows the reduction to be accelerated by changing the temperature and pH of the reaction mixture consisting of aqueous AgNO3 and Mangifera Indica leaf extract. At a pH of 8, the colloid consists of well-dispersed triangular, hexagonal and nearly spherical nanoparticles having size ∼20 nm. The UV-vis spectrum of silver nanoparticles gave surface plasmon resonance (SPR) at 439 nm. The synthesized nanocrystals were characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Water soluble organics present in the leaf are responsible for the reduction of silver ions. This green method provides faster synthesis comparable to chemical methods and can be used in areas such as cosmetics, foods and medical applications.

Fungus-mediated Biological Approaches Towards 'Green' Synthesis of Oxide Nanomaterials

A promising avenue of research in materials science is to follow the strategies used by nature to fabricate ornate hierarchical materials. For many ages, organisms have been engaged in on-the-job testing to craft structural and functional materials and have evolved extensively to possibly create the best-known materials. Some of the strategies used by nature may well have practical implications in the world of nanomaterials. Therefore, the efforts to exploit nature’s ingenious work in designing strategies for nanomaterials synthesis has led to biological routes for materials synthesis. This review outlines the biological synthesis of a range of oxide nanomaterials that has hitherto been achieved using fungal biosynthesis routes. A critical overview of the current status and future scope of this field that could potentially lead to the microorganism-mediated commercial, large-scale, environmentally benign, and economically-viable ‘green’ syntheses of oxide nanomaterials is also discussed.

Analysis of antimicrobial silver nanoparticles synthesized by coastal strains of Escherichia coli and Aspergillus niger

The present study investigated the extracellular biosynthesis of antimicrobial silver nanoparticles by Escherichia coli AUCAS 112 and Aspergillus niger AUCAS 237 derived from coastal mangrove sediment of southeast India. Both microbial species were able to produce silver nanoparticles, as confirmed by X-ray diffraction spectrum. The nanoparticles synthesized were mostly spherical, ranging in size from 5 to 20 nm for E. coli and from 5 to 35 nm for A. niger, as evident by transmission electron microscopy. Fourier transform spectroscopy revealed prominent peaks corresponding to amides I and II, indicating the presence of a protein for stabilizing the nanoparticles. Electrophoretic analysis revealed the presence of a prominent protein band with a molecular mass of 45 kDa for E. coli and 70 kDa for A. niger. The silver nanoparticles inhibited certain clinical pathogens, with antibacterial activity being more distinct than antifungal activity. The antimicrobial activity of E. coli was more pronounced than that of A. niger and was enhanced with the addition of polyvinyl alcohol as a stabilizing agent. This work highlighted the possibility of using microbes of coastal origin for synthesis of antimicrobial silver nanoparticles.

Crystallization of silver through reduction process using Elaeis guineensis biosolid extract

This study presents a special, economically valuable, unprecedented eco-friendly green process for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles. The silver nanoparticles were obtained from a waste material with oil palm biosolid extract as the reducing agent. The use of the oil palm biosolid extract for the nanoparticle synthesis offers the benefit of amenability for large-scale production. An aqueous solution of silver (Ag(+) ) ions was treated with the oil palm biosolid extract for the formation of Ag nanoparticles. The nanometallic dispersion was characterized by surface plasmon absorbance measuring 428 nm. Transmission electron microscopy showed the formation of silver nanoparticles in the range of 5-50 nm. Scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) and X-ray diffraction analysis of the freeze-dried powder confirmed the formation of metallic silver nanoparticles. Moreover, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy provided evidence of phenolics or proteins as the biomolecules that were likely responsible for the reduction and capping agent, which helps to increase the stability of the synthesized silver nanoparticles. In addition, we have optimized the production with various parameters.

Production of antimicrobial silver nanoparticles in water extracts of the fungus Amylomyces rouxii strain KSU-09

A fungal strain, KSU-09, isolated from the roots of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera), was identified as Amylomyces rouxii based on sequence analysis of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of its rRNA genes. Mycelia-free water extracts obtained from mycelium suspended in water for 72h facilitated the production of stable, predominantly monodispersed and spherical silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in the size range of 5-27nm upon addition of 1mM silver nitrate, as determined by the XRD, AFM and TEM. The AgNPs exhibited antimicrobial activity against Shigella dysenteriae type I, Staphylococcus aureus, Citrobacter sp., Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis, Candida albicans and Fusarium oxysporum. Thus, the strain KSU-09 could be used for simple, non-hazardous and efficient synthesis of antimicrobial AgNPs.

Biocrystallization of silver and gold ions by inactive cell filtrate of Rhizopus stolonifer

Microbes and their cell filtrates are known to synthesize metal nanoparticles. But maintenance of aseptic conditions and irregularly shaped and sized nanoparticles are major drawbacks of the system. In this study cell filtrate from inactive biomass of Rhizopus stolonifer was used for the first time to produce near uniformly sized and shaped Ag and Au nanoparticles at room temperature. The size of Ag and Au nanoparticles were found in the range of 25-30 nm and 1-5 nm, respectively. UV-vis spectrum, TEM and XRD measurements confirmed the formation of Ag and Au nanoparticles.

Biopharmaceutical applications of nanogold

The application of nanogold in biopharmaceutical field is reviewed in this work. The properties of nanogold including nanogold surface Plasmon absorption and nanogold surface Plasmon light scattering are illustrated. The physical, chemical, biosynthesis methods of nanogold preparation are presented. Catalytic properties as well as biomedical applications are highlighted as one of the most important applications of nanogold. Biosensing, and diagnostic and therapeutic applications of gold nanoparticles are evaluated. Moreover, gold nanoparticles in drugs, biomolecules and proteins' delivery are analyzed. Gold nanoparticles for the site-directed photothermal applications are reviewed as the most fruitful research area in the future.

Preparation and physicochemical characterization of Ag nanoparticles biosynthesized by Lippia citriodora (Lemon Verbena)

The purpose of this study was to develop a simple biological method for the synthesis of Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) using Lippia citriodora leaves aqueous extract as reducing agent. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and visible absorption spectroscopy (UV-vis) confirmed the reduction of silver ions to AgNPs. Stable, spherical crystalline AgNPs with well defined dimensions (average size of 15-30 nm) were obtained, on treating aqueous silver nitrate with the plant leaf aqueous extract. The kinetic of particles formation was proportional to the effect of reducing agent concentration and was enhanced by the increase of temperature from 25 degrees C to 95 degrees C. Time, temperature and extract concentration did not influence significantly the shape and size of nanoparticles. In order to identify the compounds responsible for the bioreduction of silver ions and stabilization of the AgNPs formed, we investigated the constituents of L. citriodora aqueous extract by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and mass spectrometry (MS). The main compounds found were verbascoside, isoverbascoside, chrysoeriol-7-O-diglucoronide and luteonin-7-O-diglucoronide. The data obtained suggests that the isoverbascoside compound is responsible for Ag(+) ions reduction and act as capping agents of the nanoparticles afterwards.

Silver nanocrystallites: biofabrication using Shewanella oneidensis, and an evaluation of their comparative toxicity on gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria

Microorganisms have long been known to develop resistance to metal ions either by sequestering metals inside the cell or by effluxing them into the extracellular media. Here we report the biosynthesis of extracellular silver-based single nanocrystallites of well-defined composition and homogeneous morphology utilizing the gamma-proteobacterium, Shewanella oneidensis MR-1, upon incubation with aqueous silver nitrate solution. Further characterization of these particles revealed that the crystals consist of small, reasonably monodispersed spheres in the 2-11 nm size range (average of 4 +/- 1.5 nm). The bactericidal effect of these nanoparticles (biogenic-Ag) is compared to chemically synthesized silver nanoparticles (colloidal-Ag and oleate capped silver nanoparticles, oleate-Ag) and assessed using Gram-negative (E. coli and S. oneidensis) and Gram-positive (B. subtilis) bacteria. Relative toxicity was based on the diameter of inhibition zone in disk diffusion tests, minimum inhibitory concentrations, live/dead assays, and atomic force microscopy. From a toxicity perspective, strain-dependent inhibition depended on the synthesis procedure and the surface coat. Biogenic-Ag was found to be of higher toxicity compared to colloidal-Ag for all three strains tested, whereas E. coli and S. oneidensis were found to be more resistant to either of these nanoparticles than B. subtilis. In contrast, oleate-Ag was not toxic to any of the bacteria. These findings have implications for the potential uses of Ag nanomaterials and for their fate in biological and environmental systems.

Biosynthesis of gold nanoparticles by foliar broths: roles of biocompounds and other attributes of the extracts

Biosynthesis of nanoparticles has arisen as a promising alternative to conventional synthetic methodologies owing to its eco-friendly advantages, and the involved bioprotocol still needs further clarification. This research, for the first time from the standpoint of statistics, confirmed an electrostatic force or ionic bond-based interaction between the chloroauric ions and the involved bioconstituents and manifested that reducing sugars and flavonoids were both important reductants responsible for conversion of Au(III) to Au(0). The result also demonstrated that the proteins were not the reducing agents, yet they might be protection agents in biosynthesis of gold nanoparticles (GNPs). Besides, a significant linear relationship was found between the anti-oxidant ability of the foliar broths and their capability to reduce Au(III) into Au(0). Furthermore, the preliminary investigation based on the boxplot on the size/shape distribution of the biosynthesized GNPs revealed that gold nanospheres with higher degree of homogeneity in size tended to be promoted by foliar broths containing higher content of reducing sugars/flavonoids and proteins. Otherwise, i.e., for those broths with lower content of the above biocompounds, sphere GNPs of wider size distribution or even gold nanotriangles tended to be fabricated.(See supplementary material 1).

Bioreduction of trivalent aurum to nano-crystalline gold particles by active and inactive cells and cell-free extract of Aspergillus oryzae var. viridis

Bioreduction efficacy of both active (AB) and inactive (IB) cells/biomass of Aspergillus oryzae var. viridis and their respective cell-free extracts (ACE and ICE) to convert trivalent aurum to gold nanoparticles were tested in the present study. Strong plasmon resonance of gold nanoparticles was observed between 540 and 560 nm in the samples obtained from AB, IB, ACE and ICE. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were performed to examine the formation of gold nanoparticles. Comparing all four forms of A. oryzae var. viridis, ICE showed high gold nanoparticle productivity. The nanoparticles formed were quite uniform in shape and ranged in size from 10 to 60 nm. In addition some triangle, pentagon and hexagon-shaped nanoplates with size range of 30-400 nm were also synthesized especially at lower pH. Organics from the inactive cells are believed to be responsible for reduction of trivalent aurum to nano-sized gold particles. Organic content of the ICE was found to be double the amount of ACE. High productivity of gold nanoparticles by metabolic-independent process opens up an interesting area of nanoparticle synthesis using waste fungal biomass from industries.