Plant-mediated synthesis of silver nanoparticles using Alcea rosea leaf aqueous extract and evaluation of the biological activities

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are well-known for their distinctive optical, electronic, and antimicrobial properties, enabling versatile applications in biosensors, photonics, electronics, drug delivery, and antimicrobial treatments. The biological synthesis approach offers a sustainable and eco-friendly alternative to traditional physical and chemical methods. Metal and metal oxide nanoparticles synthesized from plant extracts are emerging as promising agents with notable medicinal potential. This study presents a cost-effective, simple, and eco-friendly approach for synthesizing silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) through the reduction of Ag⁺ ions to metallic silver (Ag⁰) using an aqueous extract of Alcea rosea leaves. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized using various techniques, including UV-visible, FTIR, XRD, FESEM, and EDX. Biological activities were evaluated for their antioxidant, antibacterial, and anticancer assays. The AgNPs demonstrated moderate antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Shigella sonnei, as evidenced by moderate minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations, and mild DPPH free radical scavenging activity with an IC₅₀ value of 80.05 ± 1.53 µg/mL. The nanoparticles exhibited significant anticancer activity against cervical cancer cell lines, with an IC₅₀ of 54.46 ± 1.67 µg/mL. These findings suggest that the synthesized AgNPs have promising potential for medical applications, especially in drug development.