Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles Using Cannabis sativa Extracts and Their Anti-Bacterial Activity

A procedure for the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using Cannabis sativa (hemp plant) as a stabilizing media was developed and antibacterial activity was tested. Within 30 minutes of heating the mixture of silver nitrate and hemp extract, the formation of silver nanoparticles took place under the complete absence of a chemical reducing or an additional stabilizing agent. The so-formed AgNPs were characterized using different optical spectroscopy and electron microscopy techniques. The initial formation of AgNPs was established from UV-Vis data based on surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of AgNPs at ~417 nm. The exact size, shape, and elemental composition of AgNPs were established from ESEM images and EDS data. The antibacterial activity of these nanoparticles was studied on Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus, and Gram-negative Escherichia coli following Disk diffusion and Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) tests. Results showed that the biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles using hemp extract could be a simple,inexpensive, and biocompatible method.