Bactericidal and fungicidal capacity of Ag₂O/Ag nanoparticles synthesized with Aloe vera extract

This research aims to provide an alternative eco-friendly way to obtain silver species and assess their bactericidal activity. This study reports the synthesis of Ag₂O nanoparticles and Ag nanoparticles reduced with a green synthesis method, using a low-cost and commercial Aloe vera extract. The crystalline phases of Ag and Ag₂O nanoparticles were analyzed by X-ray diffraction. The oxidation states for both species were determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The optical properties of the material were studied through optical absorption, which resulted in well-defined band centered at 545 nm. This result is attributed to the morphology and size of the silver nanoparticles. In addition, antibacterial tests were performed on AgNPs biosynthesized with A. vera with the Kirby-Bauer protocol on Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureaus, respectively. Moreover, antifungal tests were performed with various species from Candida.