Abstract

Objective: An eco-friendly, cost-effective mosquito larvicidal and antimicrobial silver nanoparticle was produced from Wrightia tinctoria leaves.

Method: The green route synthesis of silver nanoparticles using aqueous and methanol extract of W. tinctoria leaves and synthesized AgNPs were characterized by UV-Vis, FT-IR, EDAX, XRD and SEM. The antimicrobial potentials of AgNPs using well diffusion method against human bacterial pathogens and mosquito larvicidal activity were also observed on treatment with AgNPs using mortality test and FT-IR spectral studies.

Results: The maximum absorbance was observed between 400 nm to 480 nm for the synthesized AgNPs, the synthesized AgNPs were spherical shaped with size ranging between 50-90 nm. The EDAX spectrum clearly showed a strong peak for silver at 3 keV. The AgNPs showed antibacterial potential against clinical pathogens such as Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Proteus vulgaris and Staphylococcus aureus and inhibited the mosquito larval growth as parricidal agent. Thus an eco-friendly and cost-effective production of antimicrobial and parricidal AgNPs from W. tinctoria leaves will enable biocontrol of mosquitoes.

Keywords: Wrightia tinctoria, silver nanoparticles, larvicidal activity, antimicrobial, phytomediated nano particle, Anopheles stephensi.

Graphical Abstract