Biomedicine

Abstract

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are widely used in diverse fields, but have the limitation of stability and bioactivity which needs regular optimization. This study reports an ecofriendly approach in which the poly(vinylpyrrolidone) AgNPs was capped with glucose and loaded with Berberine(BBR) to form BBR loaded nanoformulation (PBR). The PBR was characterized using UV-visible spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) with Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis, X-ray diffraction, Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), Zeta Potential analysis, and Fourier Transforms Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The PBR showed a uniform spherical morphology with an average size of 78 nm and the zeta potential of -23.7 mV. FTIR study confirmed the loading of BBR through the shift in the functional groups in the spectra. PBR exhibited dose dependent antioxidant activity (18.5-45.9%), though lesser than the ascorbic acid. The antimicrobial activity revealed that PBR has moderate antifungal activity (40% inhibition against Aspergillus sp.). The moderate antioxidant and antifungal activity of PBR warrants further optimization to enhance its bioactivity.