MYRISTICA FRAGRANS EXTRACT MEDIATED GREEN SYNTHESIS OF IRON NANO PARTICLES: CHARACTERISATION, CYTOTOXICITY AND ANTIBACTERIAL ANALYSIS
Beena Jose* and Chithira S. S.
Abstract
The iron nanoparticle synthesized using Myristica fragrans seed
extract was characterized using UV-Vis spectroscopy, FTIR
spectroscopy, Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Transmission
electron microscopy (TEM) analysis. Results obtained from the above
analysis revealed that efficient capping and stabilization properties of
these nanoparticles. SEM results showed that the particles synthesized
using the plant extract are in nano size varies between 585.49 and
602.99 nm. This also supported by the shifts and difference in the
areas of the peaks obtained in the FTIR analysis. TEM results also
showed that the iron nanoparticles are in spherical shape. Also they
are in the size range of 19-100 nm. From the results, it was observed that iron nanoparticles
consist of a zero valent core and surrounding an oxide shell. FTIR spectroscopy confirms that
Myristica fragrans plant extract has the ability to act as reducing agents and stabilizers of the
iron nanoparticles. The FTIR spectra shows the presence of O-H, C-H, C=O, C-O-C and Fe-
O bonds. These bands denotes stretching vibrational bands responsible for compounds like
flavonoids and terpenoids and they are responsible for efficient capping and stabilization of
obtained iron nanoparticles. As the size of the nanoparticles decreases, the band gap increases
and thus the optical absorbance increases as compared to that of the bulk particles and
therefore their color changes. The absorption maxima of thus synthesized nano particles is in
the range of 220-240nm. Here, plant extract of Myristica fragrans changed the color of ferric
chloride solution from transparent to dark yellow brown due to the reduction of Fe3+ ions to
Fe2+ within of the commencement of the reaction. From the above measurements, we can also
find out the optical energy band gap by direct method by plotting (αh√)2 and (h√). Form the
graph we obtained that the band gap is in between 2 to 2.5 eV. This shows that the formed particles are iron nanoparticles. This study also showed that biosynthesized iron nanoparticles using seed extract of Myristica fragrans have potent antimicrobial activities against Bacillus cereus. From the cytotoxicity analysis, it is observed that the formed iron nanoparticle has the ability to destroy the cells which are formed from the abnormal growth of tumour cells. It opened a new way to the nano medicinal field for the drug designing against cancer.
Keywords: Myristica fragrans, green synthesis, iron nanoparticles, antibacterial activity, cytotoxicity, drug designing.
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