Investigation of the herbal synthesis of silver nanoparticles using Cinnamon zeylanicum extract

In the present investigation, biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using Cinnamon zeylanicum bark extract was described. The extraction of Cinnamon zeylanicum bark was carried out in various solvents such as aqueous, ethanol, and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) with different polarity. The aldehyde content and antioxidant activity of each extract were estimated. Subsequently, these extracts were used for the synthesis of AgNPs and the growth of nanoparticles was periodically monitored by UV–visible spectroscopy and observed the drastic change in the appearance of the colloidal solutions. The correlation between total aldehyde content, antioxidant activity, and the size of the nanoparticles was investigated. Different shapes and sizes of the nanoparticles in ethanol (spherical), aqueous (polygonal), and DMSO (spherical) were observed by high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM). The antimicrobial activity of the nanoparticles was investigated against both gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and gram-negative Escherichia coli bacteria. These results suggest that aqueous extract is appropriate for the synthesis of nanoparticles and optimized for further investigations for the development of infection-resistant materials.