Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles : Structural Features and In Vivo and In Vitro Therapeutic Effects against Helicobacter pylori Induced Gastritis

Abstract EN

This study evaluates in vivo and in vitro anti-Helicobacter pylori (H.

pylori) efficacy of silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) prepared via a cost-effective green chemistry route wherein Peganum harmala L.

seeds extract was used as a reducing and capping agent.

The structural features, as elucidated by surface plasmon resonance spectrophotometry, transmission electron microscopy, and powder X-ray diffraction spectroscopy, revealed the Ag-NPs synthesized to be polydispersed in nature and spherical in shape with 5–40 nm size.

A typical Ag-NPs suspension (S5), with size being 15 nm, when tested in vitro against forty-two local isolates and two reference strains, showed a considerable anti-H.

pylori activity.

In case of in vivo trial against H.

pylori induced gastritis, after oral administration of 16 mg/kg body weight of S5 for seven days, a complete clearance was recorded in male albino rates.

In comparative time-killing kinetics, S5 exhibited dose- and time-dependent anti-H.

pylori activity that was almost similar to tetracycline and clarithromycin, less than amoxicillin, but higher than metronidazole.

Furthermore, S5 was found to be an equally effective anti-H.

pylori agent at low (≤4) and high pH with no drug resistance observed even up to 10 repeated exposures while a significant drug resistance was recorded for most of the standard drugs employed.

The present results revealed the potential of the synthesized Ag-NPs as safer bactericidal agents for the treatment of H.

pylori induced gastritis.