Effect of silver nanoparticles on the physical and chemical properties of plant oils and their antimicrobial activity

Abstract

The aim of our research was to investigate the influence of silver nanoparticles on the phisical and chemical features of plant oils of dogrose, flax, cedar, amaranth and watermelon and their antimicrobial activity. Plant oils were saturated with silver nanoparticles using electron-beam technology for depositing a molecular stream of metal in a vacuum. To characterize the rancidity of plant oils, the acid, iodine, peroxide, ester and saponification values were determined. A sharp drop in the iodine number and an increase in the peroxide number in oils saturated with silver nanoparticles were observed, as compared to pure oils, indicating a decrease in the number of unsaturated bonds in fatty acids and the formation of peroxides in oils. All pure plant oils and a separate sample of silver nanoparticles suppressed the growth of only E. faecalis colonies. Plant oils that were saturated with silver nanoparticles delayed the growth of S. aureus, S. epidermidis, E. faecalis, E. coli, P. aeruginosa, and C. albicans; the greatest delay in the growth of colonies was caused by flaxseed oil. Thus, the phisical and chemical features of the plant oils under study essentially changed after they are saturated with silver nanoparticles. It can be assumed that the metal acted as a catalyst for peroxide oxidation of lipids in the investigated plant oil samples, the products of which caused toxic effects on cultures of bacteria and fungi in the experiment.