Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles from Myrmecodia pendens Extract and their Antibacterial Activity against MRSA

¹ Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universitas Airlangga, 60115, Surabaya, Indonesia
² Nursing Department, Poltekkes Kemenkes Surabaya, 60286, Surabaya, Indonesia
³ Radiology Imaging Technology Study Program, Faculty of Health and Education, Universitas Muhammadiyah Karanganyar, 57761, Karanganyar, Indonesia

^* Corresponding author: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Abstract

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA) remains a critical public health concern, underscoring the need for novel antibacterial strategies. Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) offers an eco-friendly alternative to conventional chemical routes, yet mechanistic insights—particularly phytochemical-driven reduction and ROS-related interactions—are still limited for many medicinal plants, including Myrmecodia pendens. This study investigates the use of Myrmecodia pendens extract as a reducing and stabilizing agent in microwave-assisted AgNP synthesis and evaluates the antibacterial activity of the resulting AgNPs against MRSA. Antibacterial performance was assessed using a disk diffusion assay, in which disks containing 50 μL of AgNPs-MP were placed on TSA plates inoculated with MRSA and incubated for 24 hours. The microwave-assisted bioreduction rapidly produced uniformly dispersed AgNPs exhibiting a characteristic SPR peak near 420 nm, confirming effective nucleation mediated by plant phytochemicals. All AgNP formulations inhibited MRSA, with inhibition zones ranging from 8.8 to 9.5 mm. Although the 1.5 mM sample produced the largest zone, its difference from the 1 mM formulation remained within typical disk-diffusion variability, indicating comparable activity. These findings demonstrate that Myrmecodia pendens enables efficient green synthesis of bioactive AgNPs and supports its potential as a sustainable platform for developing anti-MRSA nanomaterials.