Silver nanoparticles synthesized using cannabis sativa extract and their antibacterial activity

Abstract

With growing pressure for wide application of silver nanoparticles, the methods of their production have become increasingly important. Moreover, repurposing waste has been a globally acknowledged trend in the context of circular economy approaches in recent decades. Combining the two, this study presents a facile method of silver nanoparticle production with the help of Cannabis sativa extract originating from a waste product originating from industrial hemp processing. The presence of produced nanoparticles was confirmed using UV-VIS spectrophotometry and TEM. After that, the antimicrobial activity against planktonic cells of an opportunistic pathogenic bacterium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, was tested using a microcultivation device, Bioscreen C. Our results show Cannabis sativa extract is capable of mediating silver nanoparticle synthesis and stabilization and the produced nanoparticles are able of effectively inhibiting the planktonic cells of all P. aeruginosa strains tested. These results suggest there is an economically and environmentally friendly method of silver nanoparticle synthesis for antimicrobial applications.