Leaf extract from the endemic plant Peumus boldus as an effective bioproduct for the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles

Abstract

Green synthesis of nanoparticles (NPs) from plant extracts have emerged as a promising methodology for the fabrication of metallic NPs, as it involves an easy, fast, low-cost, and environmentally friendly bioprocess. In the present study, we propose aqueous extracts from the endemic-medicinal plant Peumus boldus ("Boldo") as an easy, fast, low-cost, and efficient bioproduct for the green synthesis of silver NPs (AgNPs). Our results indicate that room temperature conditions, short reaction time (only 3 h), low concentrations (1%) of leaf extracts of P. boldus, and silver nitrate salts (2 mM) were sufficient to biosynthesize AgNPs in a uniform size (18 nm) and shape distribution (spherical). In addition, stable and pure AgNPs were obtained in this process at the same time.