Original article: https://doi.org/10.3389/fchem.2023.1065986
Green Synthesis of Nanomedicine is considered a safer approach than traditional chemical methods for medical research. It has many potential uses in health care, such as disease detection, treatment, pain relief, and overall wellness. This study focused on making and testing silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using a natural extract from the Piper cubeba fruit (a type of pepper) to see if they could help block certain enzymes that cause disease.
How it was done:
The fruits were ground into powder and soaked in ethanol (alcohol). After filtering and evaporating the alcohol, a thick extract was left and kept in a fridge. This extract was then mixed with a silver nitrate (AgNO₃) solution, turning the color from light brown to dark brown—this showed that the silver nanoparticles were successfully formed.
The nanoparticles were tested using several scientific tools:
- UV-Vis spectroscopy to confirm formation,
- FTIR to detect chemical bonds,
- XRD to analyze structure,
- SEM to look at the size and shape.
Findings:
The silver ions (Ag⁺) turned into silver particles (Ag⁰) at room temperature (25°C), and the nanoparticles were about 40–80 nanometers in size. These nanoparticles were tested for their ability to stop urease, an enzyme linked to stomach ulcers caused by Helicobacter pylori.
- The Piper cubeba extract alone showed 88.5% urease inhibition at 5 mg.
- The silver nanoparticles made from the extract showed 78.6% inhibition at just 0.05 mg.
- These results were similar to a standard drug called thiourea, showing that the natural solution is quite effective.
Conclusion:
This study suggests that both the Piper cubeba extract and the green-made silver nanoparticles could serve as effective and safer alternatives to chemical drugs for blocking harmful enzymes. This makes them promising for future use in medicine and drug delivery to support human health.