Abstract
Iron oxide nanoparticles (NPs) have attracted substantial interest due to their superparamagnetic features, biocompatibility, and nontoxicity. The latest progress in the biological production of Fe(3)O(4) NPs by green methods has improved their quality and biological applications significantly. In this study, the fabrication of iron oxide NPs from Spirogyra hyalina and Ajuga bracteosa was conducted via an easy, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective process. The fabricated Fe(3)O(4) NPs were characterized using various analytical methods to study their unique properties. UV-Vis absorption peaks were observed in algal and plant-based Fe(3)O(4) NPs at 289 nm and 306 nm, respectively. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy analyzed diverse bioactive phytochemicals present in algal and plant extracts that functioned as stabilizing and capping agents in the fabrication of algal and plant-based Fe(3)O(4) NPs. X-ray diffraction of NPs revealed the crystalline nature of both biofabricated Fe(3)O(4) NPs and their small size. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that algae and plant-based Fe(3)O(4) NPs are spherical and rod-shaped, averaging 52 nm and 75 nm in size. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy showed that the green-synthesized Fe(3)O(4) NPs require a high mass percentage of iron and oxygen to ensure their synthesis. The fabricated plant-based Fe(3)O(4) NPs exhibited stronger antioxidant properties than algal-based Fe(3)O(4) NPs. The algal-based NPs showed efficient antibacterial potential against E. coli, while the plant-based Fe(3)O(4) NPs displayed a higher zone of inhibition against S. aureus. Moreover, plant-based Fe(3)O(4) NPs exhibited superior scavenging and antibacterial potential compared to the algal-based Fe(3)O(4) NPs. This might be due to the greater number of phytochemicals in plants that surround the NPs during their green fabrication. Hence, the capping of bioactive agents over iron oxide NPs improves antibacterial applications.