Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2023 Jun 22;13(1):10186.
doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-37175-0.

A novel approach for the biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles using the defensive gland extracts of the beetle, Luprops tristis Fabricius

Anthyalam Parambil Ajaykumar  1 , Ovungal Sabira  2 , Merin Sebastian  2 , Sudhir Rama Varma  3 , Kanakkassery Balan Roy  2   4 , Valiyaparambil Sivadasan Binitha  5 , Vazhanthodi Abdul Rasheed  2 , Kodangattil Narayanan Jayaraj  6 , Attuvalappil Ravidas Vignesh  2
Affiliations

A novel approach for the biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles using the defensive gland extracts of the beetle, Luprops tristis Fabricius

Anthyalam Parambil Ajaykumar et al. Sci Rep. .

Abstract

Discovering novel natural resources for the biological synthesis of metal nanoparticles is one of the two key challenges facing by the field of nanoparticle synthesis. The second challenge is a lack of information on the chemical components needed for the biological synthesis and the chemical mechanism involved in the metal nanoparticles synthesis. In the current study, microwave-assisted silver nanoparticle (AgNP) synthesis employing the defensive gland extract of Mupli beetle, Luprops tristis Fabricius (Order: Coleoptera; Family: Tenebrionidae), addresses these two challenges. This study was conducted without killing the experimental insect. Earlier studies in our laboratory showed the presence of the phenolic compounds, 2,3-dimethyl-1,4-benzoquinone, 1,3-dihydroxy-2-methylbenzene, and 2,5-dimethylhydroquinone in the defensive gland extract of L. tristis. The results of the current study show that the phenolic compounds in the defensive gland extract of the beetle has the ability to reduce silver ions into AgNPs and also acts as a good capping and stabilizing agent. A possible mechanism for the reduction of silver nitrate (AgNO3) into AgNPs is suggested. The synthesized AgNPs were characterized by Ultraviolet-Visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy energy-dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX) analysis and high-resolution transmission electron microscopic (HR-TEM) techniques. The stability of biologically synthesized nanoparticles was studied by zeta potential analysis. The TEM analysis confirmed that AgNPs are well dispersed and almost round shaped. The average size of nanoparticle ranges from 10 to 20 nm. EDX analysis showed that silver is the prominent metal present in the nanomaterial solution. The AgNPs synthesized have antibacterial property against both Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Radical scavenging (DPPH) assay was used to determine the antioxidant activity of the AgNPs. AgNPs exhibited anticancer activity in a cytotoxicity experiment against Dalton's lymphoma ascites (DLA) cell line.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The experimental insect, L. tristis (a), with exposed defensive gland (A).
Figure 2
Figure 2
(a) Diagrammatic representation of AgNPs synthesis from the defensive gland extracts of L. tristis. (b) Reaction mixture of AgNO3 and defensive gland extract before heating (A). Reaction mixture after heating for 6 min showing the formation of AgNPs (B).
Figure 3
Figure 3
UV–Vis spectrum showing absorbance at 448 nm.
Figure 4
Figure 4
FTIR data of biosynthesized AgNPs after dialysis (Ag), AgNPs before dialysis, and defensive gland extract (G).
Figure 5
Figure 5
Zeta potential analysis displays the surface charge on AgNPs.
Figure 6
Figure 6
HR-TEM data of different magnifications of AgNPs synthesized from the defensive gland extract of the Mupli beetle.
Figure 7
Figure 7
SEM–EDX spectrum of AgNPs elemental mapping results indicates the distribution of elements.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Mechanistic rationalization for the reduction of Ag(I) by 2,5-dimethyl-hydroquinone and 1,3-dihydroxy-2-methylbenzene.
Figure 9
Figure 9
DPPH activity of various concentrations of AgNPs.
Figure 10
Figure 10
The effect of AgNPs on the cytotoxic activity of DLA cells was estimated by trypan blue assay.
Figure 11
Figure 11
Antimicrobial activity of different concentrations (5 µl, 10 µl, and 15 µl) of AgNPs on E. coli (A) and S. aureus (B).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Doyen JT, Matthews EG, Lawrence JF. Classification and annotated checklist of the Australian Tenebrionidae (Coleoptera) Invertebr. Taxon. 1990;3:229–260. doi: 10.1071/IT9890229. - DOI
    1. Sabu TK, Vinod KV, Jobi MC. Life history, aggregation and dormancy of the rubber plantation litter beetle, Luprops tristis, from the rubber plantations of Moist South Western Ghats. J. Insect Sci. 2008;8:1–17. doi: 10.1673/031.008.6901. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Abhitha P, Vinod KV, Sabu TK. Defensive glands in the adult and larval stages of the darkling beetle, Luprops tristis. J. Insect Sci. 2010;10:1–5. doi: 10.1673/031.010.0701. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Sabira O, et al. The chemical composition and antimitotic, antioxidant, antibacterial and cytotoxic properties of the defensive gland extract of the beetle, Luprops tristis Fabricius. Molecules. 2022;27:7476. doi: 10.3390/molecules27217476. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Singh P, Kim Y-J, Zhang D, Yang D-C. Biological synthesis of nanoparticles from plants and microorganisms. Trends Biotechnol. 2016;34:588–599. doi: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2016.02.006. - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources