Plant mediated synthesis of silver nanoparticles using Alcea rosea leaf aqueous extract and evaluation of the biological activities

Silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) are well-known for their distinctive optical, electronic, and antimicrobial properties, enabling their versatile applications in areas such as biosensors, photonics, electronics, drug delivery, and antimicrobial treatments. The biological synthesis approach offers a sustainable and eco-friendly alternative to traditional physical and chemical methods. Metal and metal oxide nanoparticles derived from plant extracts are emerging as promising agents with notable medicinal potential. This study presents a cost-effective, simple, and eco-friendly method for synthesizing silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs). This method reduces silver ions into stable Ag NPs using an aqueous leaf extract of Alcea rosea . The synthesized Ag NPs were characterized using various techniques, including UV-visible, FTIR, XRD, FESEM, and EDX. The Ag NPs demonstrated notable antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anticancer properties. They exhibited excellent inhibition of DPPH free radical scavenging activity, with an IC ₅₀ value of 80.05 ± 1.53 µg/mL. Strong antibacterial activity was observed against gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and gram-negative Shigella sonnei , with significant MIC and MBC values. Furthermore, the nanoparticles showed potent anticancer activity, with an IC₅₀ of 54.46 ± 1.67 µg/mL against cervical cancer cell lines. These findings suggest that the synthesized Ag NPs have promising potential for medical applications, especially in drug development.