Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles Using Artemisia vestita: Phytochemical Insights and Bioactivity Against Fish
Jasmeena Syed1, Ibraq Khurshid2, Eijaz Ahmad Tantray1
1Advanced Research Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India.
Abstract:
The rapid emergence of multidrug-resistant fish pathogens poses a significant threat to sustainable aquaculture and underscores the urgent need for eco-friendly alternatives to conventional antibiotics. This study presents a comprehensive investigation into the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using the aqueous extract of Artemisia vestita and their antioxidant and antibacterial potential against fish-pathogenic bacteria. Silver nanoparticles (AvAgNPs) were synthesised under optimised conditions (30°C, 50 min, neutral pH) and characterised using UV-Vis spectroscopy, FESEM-EDX, XRD, FTIR, and zeta potential analyses, confirming spherical morphology (size ∼46.46 nm) and crystalline face-centred cubic structure. Antibacterial activity, assessed by the agar diffusion method, showed significantly higher efficacy of AvAgNPs than the A. vestita extract, with maximum inhibition against Aeromonas salmonicida (ZOI = 20.03 mm; MIC = 32 µg/mL; MBC = 64 µg/mL). Antioxidant evaluation using the DPPH assay revealed enhanced free radical scavenging activity of AvAgNPs (IC50 = 120.8 µg/mL) compared to the A. vestita extract (IC50 = 141.7 µg/mL). Furthermore, LC-MS-based phytochemical profiling identified common bioactive flavonoids and sesquiterpenoids in the extract that may contribute to nanoparticle formation and stabilisation. These findings highlight A. vestita-mediated AgNPs as a promising bio-nanotechnological approach for sustainable aquaculture therapeutics.
