Antimicrobial effects produced by gold nanoparticles obtained with extracts of Allium sativum and Allium ursinum

Authors

  • Ioana Andreea BARBU Faculty of Biology and Geology, Babes-Bolyai University, 1 M. Koganiceanu Str., 400084 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; Doctoral School of Integrative Biology, Babes-Bolyai University, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania https://orcid.org/0009-0006-0429-5450
  • Rahela CARPA Faculty of Biology and Geology, Babes-Bolyai University, 1 M. Koganiceanu Str., 400084 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; Institute for Research-Development-Innovation in Applied Natural Sciences, Babes-Bolyai University, 30 Fântânele Str., 400294 Cluj-Napoca, Romania. ✉Corresponding author, E-mail: rahela.carpa@ubbcluj.ro https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8974-1718
  • Oana Maria BIRO Faculty of Physics, Babes-Bolyai University, 1 M. Koganiceanu Str., 400084 Cluj-Napoca, Romania https://orcid.org/0009-0003-6743-6087
  • Marcel PÂRVU Faculty of Biology and Geology, Babes-Bolyai University, 1 M. Koganiceanu Str., 400084 Cluj-Napoca, Romania https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5892-9280

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24193/subbbiol.2025.1.15

Keywords:

Allium sativum, Allium ursinum, antimicrobial, nanoparticles

Abstract

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) obtained by green synthesis using plant extracts from the genus Allium have attracted significant scientific interest due to their potential applications as antimicrobial agents in the biomedical field. This study investigates the antimicrobial potential of AuNPs obtained by green synthesis using extracts of Allium sativum and Allium ursinum. These plant extracts are rich in sulfur compounds (allicin), flavonoids and polyphenols, which not only facilitate the formation of nanoparticles, but also confer them increased antimicrobial properties. The nanoparticles thus obtained were characterized by spectroscopic methods (UV-Vis) and were tested for antimicrobial activity. Microbiological tests performed in vitro demonstrated an antimicrobial activity of the nanoparticles against Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) bacteria but also against Candida albicans and Candida parapsilosis. The results support the idea that gold nanoparticles functionalized with Allium extracts may constitute a promising alternative in the development of natural antimicrobial compounds with applications in medicine, the food industry and the pharmaceutical field.

Article history: Received 16 May 2025; Revised 29 May 2025;
Accepted 29 May 2025; Available online 25 June 2025

References

Abdelsattar, A.S., Kamel, A.G., Eita, M.A., Elbermawy, Y., & El-Shibiny, A. (2024). The cytotoxic potency of green synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) using Origanum majorana. Mat Lett,. 367, 136654. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matlet.2024.136654

Baran, M.F., Keskin, C., Baran, A., Hatipoğlu, A., Yildiztekin, M., Küçükaydin, S., Kurt, K.; Hoşgören, H.; Sarker, M.M.R.; Sufianov, A., Beylerli, O., Khalilov, R., & Eftekhari, A. (2023). Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles from Allium cepa L. Peel Extract, Their Antioxidant, Antipathogenic, and Anticholinesterase Activity. Molecules, 28, 2310. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28052310

Barbu, I. A., Ciorîță, A., Carpa, R., Moț, A. C., Butiuc-Keul, A., & Pârvu, M. (2023). Phytochemical Characterization and Antimicrobial Activity of Several Allium Extracts. Molecules, 28 (10): 3980. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28103980

Bastús, N. G., Comenge, J., & Puntes, V. (2011). Kinetically Controlled Seeded Growth Synthesis of Citrate-Stabilized Gold Nanoparticles of up to 200 nm: Size Focusing versus Ostwald Ripening. Langmuir J, 27 (17): 11098–105. https://doi.org/10.1021/la201938u

Bogale, B.L., Adamu, T.B., Kebede, M.A., Ayana, M.T., Kebede, W.W., & Fetene T. (2025). Green and facile synthesis of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) using Rhamnus prinoides (Gesho) leaf extract for antibacterial, antioxidant and photocatalytic activities. Next Nanotechnology, 7: 100163. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nxnano.2025.100163

Coman, C., Leopold, L. F., Rugină, O. D., Barbu-Tudoran, L., Leopold, N., Tofană, M., & Socaciu, C. (2013). Green Synthesis of Gold Nanoparticles by Allium sativum Extract and Their Assessment as SERS Substrate. J Nanopart Res, 16 (1): 2158. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-013-2158-4

Chowdhury, M.A.S., Islam, M.M., Jamal, M. (2025). Green synthesis of nickel oxide nanoparticles using Allium cepa stalks and investigation of their antibacterial activity. Results Chem, 16, 102328. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rechem.2025.102328

Cui, Z., Hu, J., Jiang, X., Zhang, D., Fang, C. (2021). Asymmetric Au/(PdAg alloy) nano-allium giganteums for their enhanced electrocatalytic performances to ethanol oxidation reaction. J. Alloys Comp, 855, 2, 157385. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jallcom.2020.157385

Dauthal, P., & Mausumi, M. (2016). Noble Metal Nanoparticles: Plant-Mediated Synthesis, Mechanistic Aspects of Synthesis, and Applications. Ind Eng Chem Res, 55 (36): 9557–77. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.iecr.6b00861

El-Gebalya, A.S., Sofya, A.R., Hmeda, A.A., Youssef, A.M. (2024). Green synthesis, characterization and medicinal uses of silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs), copper nanoparticles (Cu-NPs) and zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) and their mechanism of action: A review. Biocatal Agric Biotech, 55, 103006. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bcab.2023.103006

Ezhuthupurakkal, P.B., Polaki, L.R., Suyavaran, A., Subastri, A., Sujatha, V., Thirunavukkarasu, C. (2017). Selenium nanoparticles synthesized in aqueous extract of Allium sativum perturbs the structural integrity of Calf thymus DNA through intercalation and groove binding. Mat Sc Eng C, 74, 597–608. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.msec.2017.02.003

Franci, G., Falanga, A., Galdiero, S., Palomba, L., Rai, M., Morelli, G., & Galdiero, M. (2015). Silver Nanoparticles as Potential Antibacterial Agents. Molecules, 20 (5): 8856–74. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules20058856

Huang, X., & El-Sayed. M. A. (2010). Gold nanoparticles: Optical properties and implementations in cancer diagnosis and photothermal therapy. J Adv Res, 1 (1): 13–28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jare.2010.02.002

Jain, P. K., Huang, X., El-Sayed, I.H., & El-Sayed, M. A., (2007). Review of Some Interesting Surface Plasmon Resonance-Enhanced Properties of Noble Metal Nanoparticles and Their Applications to Biosystems. Plasmonics, 2 (3): 107–18. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11468-007-9031-1

Link, S., & El-Sayed, M. A. (2000). Shape and size dependence of radiative, non-radiative and photothermal properties of gold nanocrystals. Int Rev Phy Chem, 19 (3): 409–53. https://doi.org/10.1080/01442350050034180

Ma, W., Zhu, G., Zhang, Y., & Guo, J. (2024). Green synthesis of ZnO NPs with long-lasting and ultra-high antimicrobial activity. Surfaces and Interfaces, 50, 104506. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.surfin.2024.104506

Rabiee, N., Mojtaba Bagherzadeh, Mahsa Kiani, Amir Mohammad Ghadiri, Kaiqiang Zhang, Zhong Jin, Seeram Ramakrishna, & Mohammadreza Shokouhimehr. (2020). High Gravity-Assisted Green Synthesis of ZnO Nanoparticles via Allium ursinum: Conjoining Nanochemistry to Neuroscience. Nano Exp, 1 (2): 020025. https://doi.org/10.1088/2632-959X/abac4d

Saeed, Z., Pervaiz, M., Ejaz, A., Hussain, S., Shaheen, S., Shehzad, B., & Younas, U. (2023). Garlic and ginger extracts mediated green synthesis of silver and gold nanoparticles: A review on recent advancements and prospective applications. Biocatal Agric Biotech, 53, 102868. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bcab.2023.102868

Sharma, Virender K., Ria A. Yngard, & Yekaterina Lin. (2009). Silver Nanoparticles: Green Synthesis and Their Antimicrobial Activities. Adv Colloid Interface Sc, 145 (1–2): 83–96. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cis.2008.09.002

Sondi, I., & Branka S.-S. (2004). Silver Nanoparticles as Antimicrobial Agent: A Case Study on E. coli as a Model for Gram-Negative Bacteria. J Colloid Interface Sc, 275 (1): 177–82. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcis.2004.02.012

Suleria, H. A. R., Masood, S.B., Nauman, K., Saira, S., Ali, R., Muhammad, A., & Munawar, A. (2015). Garlic (Allium sativum): Diet Based Therapy of 21st Century–a Review, Asian Pac J Trop Dis, 5 (4): 271-278 https://doi.org/10.1016/S2222-1808(14)60782-9

Tan, G., Tevlek, A., & Aydin, H. M.. (2023). Comparison of garlic and onion extract-derived gold nanoparticles: Characterization and anticancer activity. J Drug Deliv Sc Tech, 84, 104542. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jddst.2023.104542

Uddin, S., Safdar, L. B., Anwar, S., Iqbal, J., Laila, S., Abbasi, B. A., Saif, M. S., Ali, M., Rehman, A., Basit, A., Wang, Y., & Quraishi, U. M. (2021). Green Synthesis of Nickel Oxide Nanoparticles from Berberis balochistanica Stem for Investigating Bioactivities. Molecules, 26(6), 1548. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26061548

Yulizar, Y., Ariyanta, H. A., & Abduracman, L. (2017). Green Synthesis of Gold Nanoparticles Using Aqueous Garlic (Allium sativum L.) Extract, and Its Interaction Study with Melamine. Bull Chem React Eng Catal, 12 (2): 212–18. https://doi.org/10.9767/bcrec.12.2.770.212-218

Downloads

Published

2025-06-25

How to Cite

BARBU, I. A., CARPA, R., BIRO, O. M., & PÂRVU, M. (2025). Antimicrobial effects produced by gold nanoparticles obtained with extracts of Allium sativum and Allium ursinum. Studia Universitatis Babeș-Bolyai Biologia, 70(1), 327–336. https://doi.org/10.24193/subbbiol.2025.1.15

Issue

Section

Articles

Most read articles by the same author(s)

Similar Articles

1 2 > >> 

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.