BIOSYNTHESIS OF SILVER NANOPARTICLES FROM (Vitex Negundo L.) LEAF EXTRACT AND PRELIMINARY EVALUATION OF THEIR ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY

Abstract

In the present investigation, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were biosynthesized employing the leaf extract of Vitex negundo L., as a reducing as well as a stabilizing agent. The formation of AgNPs was evidenced by a color transition from yellow to dark brown and further corroborated by a characteristic surface plasmon resonance absorption band at 442 nm in the UV–Vis spectrum. Morphological and dimensional analyses conducted via scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed predominantly monodisperse, spherical nanoparticles with an average diameter ranging from 10 to 40 nm. The antioxidant potential of the synthesized AgNPs was quantitatively assessed using the 2,2- diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay. The results indicated a concentration-dependent enhancement in radical quenching activity, with the AgNPs exhibiting an EC₅₀ value of 0.53 mg/mL, in comparison to 0.65 mg/mL for the leaf extract, thereby demonstrating markedly superior antioxidant efficacy. The results demonstrated that AgNPs synthesized from Vitex negundo leaf not only possess stable nanoscale characteristics but also exhibit pronounced bioactivity, particularly antioxidant capacity, underscoring their promising applicability in biomedical, pharmaceutical, and cosmeceutical domains.