Ocimum basilicum-Assisted Gold Nanoparticle Formation: Structural Features and Antimicrobial Performance

Year 2025, Volume: 11 Issue: 3, 190 - 211, 30.08.2025

Muhammed Said Özonay , Cumali Keskin , Ayşe Baran , Özgür Topgider , Şeyma Asyalı

Abstract

Objective: Plant-based biosynthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) can reduce the biological consequences of NPs released into the environment by replacing toxic substances. The Lamiaceae family includes the perennial herb Ocimum basilicum (OB), which is typically found in temperate climates. This study aimed to synthesize biogenic metallic nanoparticles ecologically to provide agricultural, medical, and pharmacological options from OB leaf aqueous extract.
Method: Tetrachloroauric acid (HAuCl4.3H2O) solution and OB extract were the chemicals, stabilizers, or surfactants used in the biological synthesis process to create gold nanoparticles (OB-AuNPs). Data from UV-Vis, SEM-EDX, XRD, FT-IR, TGA-DTA, AFM, and zeta potential were used to characterize the produced AuNPs. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) method was used to test the antimicrobial activity.
Results: UV-Vis data revealed that the produced gold nanoparticles produced a notable plasmon resonance at around 532 nm. SEM-EDX examination verified that the synthesized nanomaterials had a spherical crystal structure. The reduction of Au+3 ions using the OB extract resulted in the production of crystalline AuNPs, as demonstrated by the high-resolution and robust XRD pattern. Analysis of XRD and SEM-EDX data revealed that gold, oxygen, and carbon made up the majority of OB-AuNPs' element content. The surface charges of AuNPs were determined to be (−) 17 mV.
Conclusion: The negative zeta potential indicates good stability of the nanoparticles in suspension, suggesting that they are less likely to aggregate over time. It was found that, in comparison to conventional antibiotics, OB-AuNPs produced utilizing an extract from the leaves of the OB had more potent inhibitory activity on the growth of yeast and pathogenic gram bacteria. Overall, these findings support the potential application of AuNPs in various fields, including biomedical and environmental technologies.

Keywords

Ocimum basilicum (Basil extract) , antimicrobial activity , characterization , plant-mediated synthesis , Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs)

Ethical Statement

Ethics committee approval is not required, as there is no human or animal research.

Thanks

The authors are thankful to Mardin Artuklu University for providing all necessary research facilities to carry out this research.

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