Rocephin-graphene oxide-silver nanocomposites: A versatile platform for biomedical applications

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Traditional graphene oxide (GO) synthesis is costly and time-consuming.
• Developing sustainable and economical methods for GO production is crucial.
• Utilizing agricultural waste like banana peels offers an eco-friendly alternative.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a cost-effective method for synthesizing graphene oxide (GO) from banana peels.
• To synthesize silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and load the drug Rocephin onto GO-AgNPs.
• To evaluate the biological activities of the synthesized Rocephin-GO-AgNPs nanocomposite.

Main Methods:

• Graphene oxide (GO) synthesized from banana peel using a modified Hummer's method.
• Metallic silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) synthesized and loaded with Rocephin onto GO.
• Characterization using XRD, SEM, UV-Vis, FTIR, and EDX spectroscopy.
• Biological screening including TRP, TAC, antibacterial, antifungal, cytotoxicity (MTT assay), brine shrimp lethality, and hemolytic assays.

Main Results:

• Successful synthesis of GO from banana peel, AgNPs, and Rocephin-loaded GO-AgNPs.
• XRD analysis confirmed crystallite size of AgNPs at 40.40 nm.
• SEM revealed morphological changes with AgNP and Rocephin addition.
• UV analysis showed a blue shift upon Rocephin conjugation.
• Synthesized nanocomposites demonstrated significant biological activities, with Rocephin-GO-AgNPs showing the highest efficacy.

Conclusions:

• Banana peel is a viable, low-cost precursor for GO synthesis.
• The Rocephin-GO-AgNPs nanocomposite exhibits potent biological activities.
• This novel nanomaterial holds promise for various biomedical applications.