Green Synthesis and Bioactivity of Ag–ZnO Nanoparticles from Sesbania Flowers
J. Environ. Nanotechnol., Volume 15, No 2 (June 2026) pp. 751-761
Abstract
Sesbania grandiflora is a medicinally important plant widely used in traditional medicine for treating various disorders. The present study comparatively evaluated white Sesbania grandiflora flower extracts using a multi-omics approach to investigate their phytochemical composition, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and nanoparticle synthesis. Phytochemical screening confirmed the presence of flavonoids, phenolics, tannins, alkaloids, terpenoids, and saponins. The extracts exhibited significant antioxidant activity and dose-dependent anti-inflammatory effects, along with notable antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria. AgNPs synthesized from the water extract exhibited the strongest antibacterial activity (20–22 mm), with maximum inhibition against Klebsiella pneumoniae (22 ± 4 mm), followed by AgNPs from the ethanol extract (14–20 mm). ZnO nanoparticles showed moderate activity (12–20 mm), whereas the crude extracts exhibited lower antibacterial effects (9–18 mm), with the ethanol extract showing the weakest activity. Green-synthesized silver (AgNPs) and zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles demonstrated enhanced biological activities due to their increased surface area and the synergistic effects of phytochemicals. Successful nanoparticle synthesis was confirmed through SEM, FTIR, and UV–Visible spectroscopy analyses. SEM revealed well-formed nanoparticles with uniform morphology, while FTIR confirmed the functional groups responsible for nanoparticle stabilization.
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