Lemon peels mediated synthesis of silver nanoparticles and its antidermatophytic activity

• Dermatophytes are isolated from suspected patients, isolated and identified.
• Silver nanoparticles are produced using lemon peels.
• Nanoparticles are characterized using UV, FESEM and EDS analysis.
• Silver nanoparticles were tested for their antimicrobial activity against the dermatophytes.
• Considerable activity was found against the dermatophytes.

There is an increasing commercial demand for nanoparticles due to their wide applicability in various areas. Metallic nanoparticles are traditionally synthesized by wet chemical techniques, where the chemicals used are quite often toxic and flammable. In this work, The extract of lemon peel was prepared and mixed with 1 mM AgNO3 solution .The bioreduction of Ag+ ion in solution was monitored using UV–visible spectrometer, FESEM and EDAX analysis. Skin scales were collected from patients with suspected dermatophytosis and the dermatophytes were isolated and identified. The AgNPs produced from lemon peels showed good activity against the isolated dermatophytes. The present research work emphasizes the use of lemon peels for the effective synthesize of AgNPs and could be used against the dermatophytes which are found to develop drug resistant towards broad-spectrum antibiotics. The biosynthesis of AgNPs using lemon peel extract is very simple and economic. The use of environmentally benign and renewable plant material offers enormous benefits of eco-friendliness.

FESEM image of the AgNPs synthesized from lemon peel extract at 500 nm.Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide