Green synthesized silver nanoparticles of <i>Terminalia bellirica</i> leaves extract: synthesis, characterization, <i>in-silico</i> studies, and antimalarial activity

Abstract

Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that is caused by the <i>Plasmodium</i> parasite. Most of the available medication are losing their efficacy. Therefore, it is crucial to create fresh leads to combat malaria. Green silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have recently attracted a lot of attention in biomedical research. As a result, green mediated AgNPs from leaves of <i>Terminalia bellirica</i>, a medicinal plant with purported antimalarial effects, were used in this investigation. Initially, cysteine-rich proteins from <i>Plasmodium</i> species were studied <i>in silico</i> as potential therapeutic targets. With docking scores between -9.93 and -11.25 kcal/mol, four leaf constituents of <i>Terminalia bellirica</i> were identified. The green mediated silver nanoparticles were afterward produced using leaf extract and were further examined using UV-vis spectrophotometer, DLS, Zeta potential, FTIR, XRD, and FESEM. The size of synthesized TBL-AgNPs was validated by the FESEM results; the average size of TBL-AgNPs was around 44.05 nm. The zeta potential study also supported green mediated AgNPs stability. Additionally, <i>Plasmodium falciparum</i> (3D7) cultures were used to assess the antimalarial efficacy, and green mediated AgNPs could effectively inhibit the parasitized red blood cells (pRBCs). In conclusion, this novel class of AgNPs may be used as a potential therapeutic replacement for the treatment of malaria.