Antimicrobial and Photocatalytic Activities of Selenium Nanoparticles Synthesized from Elaeagnus indica Leaf Extract

Abstract

Selenium nanoparticles (Se NPs) have recently received much interest due to their low toxicity, high bioavailability, and wide applications. This study synthesized Se NPs using selenious acid as a starting material and leaf extract from Elaeagnus indica as a reducing agent. Spectroscopic and electron microscopy investigations have demonstrated the production of aggregated amorphous Se NPs with phytochemicals. Furthermore, the reduction of selenious acid into Se NPs by phytochemicals present in the leaf extract of E. indica was confirmed in a prominent band at 269 nm in the UV-visible spectrum. The biosynthesized selenium nanoparticles have a 10–15 nm particle size distribution. The agar well diffusion assay exhibited remarkable dose-dependent, wide-spectrum antimicrobial efficacy of the Se NPs against all the tested microorganisms. Moreover, the lowest minimum inhibitory concentration (10 µg/mL) was noted against Salmonella Typhimurium and Fusarium oxysporum. The prepared Se NPs degraded methylene blue dye by about 89% after 6 h of exposure to sunlight. In conclusion, the synthesis of Se NPs using E. indica leaf extract shows promise as a method for producing Se NPs with significant antimicrobial activity and potential for methylene blue photodegradation. These properties make them potentially valuable in various fields, including water treatment and biomedical applications, in the future.