Evaluation of the Biotechnological Potential of Monteverdia salicifolia (Mart ex. Reissek) Biral

Plant extracts are a good alternative of reducing agents in the synthesis of metal nanoparticles. In this paper, we report the evaluation of the cytotoxic activity against T3 cell lines of the ethanolic extract of Monteverdia salicifolia (Mart ex. Reissek) Biral roots (MS) as well as a green one-pot route of synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using that extract as reducing and stabilizing agent. The extract exhibited dose dependent activity. The smallest particle size (48.01 nm) was achieved in just 25 minutes by employing a temperature of 65 °C and AgNO3 and MS concentrations equal to 0.9 mmol.L−1 and 0.67 mg.mL−1, respectively. The AgNPs-MS nanocomposite was characterized by UV–vis spectroscopy, FEG microscope and zeta potential, which proved that MS was effective at reducing and capping the AgNPs. In order to emphasize the advantage of the methodology applied in this synthesis, it was compared to a usual procedure using NaBH4 as a reducing agent and the greenness analysis was also carried out, using the Green Star. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17807/orbital.v13i2.154