Ecofriendly synthesis of silver nanoparticles using Barleria gibsonii and evaluation of antibacterial antioxidant cytotoxic and catalytic activities

The green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using plant extracts presents a sustainable platform for multifunctional nanomaterials. This study reports the rapid, single-pot biosynthesis of AgNPs (B.gb-AgNPs) using the aqueous leaf extract of Barleria gibsonii. Phytoconstituents in the extract functioned as reducing and stabilizing agents, enabling efficient nanoparticle synthesis under optimized conditions. FT-IR, XRD, TEM, SEM, EDX, SAED, DLS, and zeta potential analyses confirmed the synthesis of predominantly spherical, face-centered cubic B.gb-AgNPs with nanoscale dimensions and biomolecular capping. The biosynthesized B.gb-AgNPs exhibited measurable antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, antioxidant capacity, and in vitro cytotoxic effects against MCF-7 breast cancer cells, with enhanced performance compared to the crude extract. In addition, the nanoparticles demonstrated effective catalytic activity in the degradation of methylene blue. Overall, this study extends current plant-mediated AgNP research by integrating phytochemical profiling, systematic synthesis optimization, and multifunctional evaluation, and identifies B. gibsonii as a promising bioresource warranting further investigation in sustainable nanotechnological research.