Page 74 - GPD-2-4

Gene & Protein in Disease

ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE
Exploring the “Carpenter” as a substrate for

green synthesis: Biosynthesis and antimicrobial
potential

1
2
1
Akamu J. Ewunkem *, Zahirah J. Williams , Niore S. Johnson , Justice L. Brittany ,
1
3
Adesewa Maselugbo , and Kyle Nowlin 3
1 Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Natural and Physical Sciences, Winston Salem State
University, Winston Salem, North Carolina, USA
2 Department of Nursing, Faculty of Natural and Physical Sciences, Winston Salem State University,
Winston Salem, North Carolina, USA
3 Department of Nanoscience, Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering, Joint School of
Nanoscience and Nanoengineering, Greensboro, North Carolina, USA

Abstract
The frequent use of antibiotics has created favorable conditions for bacteria to
develop resistance. Bacterial resistance is a global health issue, causing at least
1 million deaths worldwide annually. The quest for new and effective antimicrobials
with activities against resistant bacteria demands immediate attention. The use of
nanoparticles as alternatives to conventional antibiotics may have the potential to
combat bacterial resistance. Silver nanoparticles, in particular, have captivated the
interest of most researchers by virtue of their broad-range antimicrobial activity
*Corresponding author: against bacteria, stemming from their strong biocidal effect on microorganisms.
Akamu J. Ewunkem
(ewunkemaj@wssu.edu) Conventionally, silver nanoparticles have been synthesized through physical,
chemical, and biological processes. However, the biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles
Citation: Ewunkem AJ, Williams ZJ,
Johnson NS, et al., 2023, Exploring from the wings of carpenter bees (Xylocopa virginica), abundantly available in
the “Carpenter” as a substrate summer in the United States of America, is yet to be explored. In this study, we
for green synthesis: Biosynthesis report the synthesis of silver nanoparticles using wing extracts from X. virginica.
and antimicrobial potential. Gene
Protein Dis. Subsequently, the biosynthesized nanoparticles were characterized using ultraviolet-
https://doi.org/10.36922/gpd.2155 visible (UV-Vis) absorption spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).
Received: November 1, 2023 Furthermore, we investigated the antimicrobial activity of the biosynthesized
Accepted: December 27, 2023 nanoparticles against two common Gram-negative and Gram-positive pathogenic
Published Online: December 29, bacteria, namely, Klebsiella pneumonia, Escherichia coli, Micrococcus luteus, and
2023
Staphylococcus aureus, using microdilution method. The study outcomes indicate
Copyright: © 2023 Author(s). that biosynthesized silver nanoparticles from X. virginica wing extract demonstrated
This is an Open Access article an absorption band at 440 nm, and SEM revealed spherical nanoparticles with
distributed under the terms of the
Creative Commons Attribution sizes ranging from 20–60 nm. In addition, biosynthesized silver nanoparticles
License, permitting distribution, from the wings of X. virginica exhibited antimicrobial activity against all the tested
and reproduction in any medium, bacteria, signifying their potential in biomedical, pharmaceutical, and agricultural
provided the original work is
properly cited. applications.
Publisher’s Note: AccScience
Publishing remains neutral with Keywords: Carpenter bee; Xylocopa virginica; Nanoparticles; Antimicrobial; Bacteria;
regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional Green synthesis
affiliations.

Volume 2 Issue 4 (2023) 1 https://doi.org/10.36922/gpd.2155