Title
Arabinoxylan-mediated green synthesis of silver nanoparticles with enhanced antibacterial and dye degradation efficiency
Authors
AAMNA MAJEED, GULZAR MUHAMMAD, MUHAMMAD RAUF RAZA, MUHAMMAD AMIN, AROOJ AFZAL and REHANA BADAR

Received March 4, 2025
Published Volume 59 Issue 9-10 October-December
Keywords silver nanoparticles, Plantago major, mucilage, dye degradation, crystal violet, safranin, antibacterial

Abstract
This study adopted a green synthesis method to produce silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) using arabinoxylan mucilage from Plantago major seeds, which naturally functions as a reducing and stabilizing agent. Different characterization techniques like UV-Vis spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-rays (EDX), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to determine the morphology, composition, and surface functionality of the synthesized nanoparticles. The formation of Ag NPs was indicated by a color change from light brown to dark brown and a characteristic absorption peak at 420 nm, with increased absorption over time due to the enhanced production of NPs. FTIR analysis confirmed Ag NP formation with characteristic bands in the 400–600 cm⁻¹ range. SEM analysis revealed flower-shaped Ag NPs, while XRD confirmed the face-centered cubic crystalline structure. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) analysis showed stable Ag NPs with a slightly negative surface charge (-0.1 mV). The synthesized Ag NPs exhibited effective antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli, Enterobacter aerogenes, and Bacillus cereus, demonstrating superior inhibition zones, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values compared with the positive control, rifampicin. Additionally, Ag NPs demonstrated significant photocatalytic potential in water purification, degrading crystal violet (87.12%) and safranin dye (83.87%) following pseudo-first-order kinetics. The findings highlight the potential of Ag NPs as eco-friendly alternatives to synthetic wastewater treatment agents and antibiotics.