ABSTRACT
There has been an increasing interest in the development of a clean synthetic procedure often known as “green chemistry” for nanoproducts which are targeted as potential applications in the fields of catalysis in chemical reactions, drug delivery in medical field, biolabelling, microelectronic, information storage, and optoelectronic devices (Crooks et al., 2001; Bhumakar et al., 2007; Dai and Bruening, 2002; Gittins et al., 2000; Hayat, 1989; Murray et al., 2001). The broad spectrum of silver nanoparticles was produced by different physical and chemical methods. For environmental concerns, there is a need to develop benign nanoparticles using nontoxic chemicals in the synthesis protocols in order to avoid adverse effects in medical applications. At present, several groups of researchers concentrate on biomimetic approaches such as plant or plant leaf extracts, microorganisms and yeast to synthesize the metal nanoparticles called as “green chemical or phytochemical” approach (Sinha et al., 2009). One of the synthesis procedure such as leaf extracts of geranium, lemon grass, neem and several others has been reported (Dubey et al., 2010; Rajesh et al., 2009; Shankar et al., 2003, 2004a, 2004b; Song et al., 2009;). The Piper betle is a traditional medicinal plant of India, The betel leaf is used in a number of traditional remedies for the treatment of stomach ailments, infections, and as a general tonic. It is often chewed in combination with the betel nut (Areca catechu), as a stimulatory. Some evidence suggests that betel leaves have immune boosting properties as well as anti-cancer properties. It is also well known for its phenolic content, and also for its antibacterial and antioxidant activities as well. So far, there have been no reports on the synthesis of nanoparticles by using piper betle leaf extract. In this paper, we report on the synthesis of silver nanoparticles using piper betle leaf, their characterization and their antibacterial activity.
