Water Hyacinth Leaf Essay

Antibacterial Activity of Water Hyacinth Leaf Extract-Stabilized Silver Nanoparticles

Abstract

Water pollution caused by the spread of unwanted water hyacinth is a problem of the Philippines. Water hyacinth (Eichhornia Crassipes) is very abundant in the Philippines. Plant mediated biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles is proven to be eco-friendly and cheap. Silver nanoparticles, however, exhibit antibacterial characteristics. The study biosynthesized silver nanoparticles from water hyacinth leaf extract because of extract’s phytochemical that serves as reducing and capping agent to silver ions to make them silver nanoparticles. After color change was observed during the water bath method in synthesis that indicates silver nanoparticles, UV-Visible

& Murphy, B., 2009). Locally, it is present in some bodies of water all year-round without any useful effect on the environment. In addition, it negatively affects the fauna and flora and competes with it for nutrients. Water hyacinth inhabits the Pasig River —covering the water surface completely and unsettling both the ecosystem (Park, D., 2017) and the ferry operations of the river (Malajito, Y., 2017). Water hyacinth contains numerous secondary metabolites and phytochemicals like phenalenone compounds, alkaloids, flavonoids, phenols, sterols, terpenoids and anthoquinones (Thombre, R., et. al., 2014,

The leaves were then cleaned twice with tap water and then washed with distilled water once. The leaves were sun-dried for 5 hours and were cut and shredded using a mechanical blender. 20 grams of water hyacinth leaves were boiled in a 400 ml deionized and stirred in a hotplate stirrer, stir level was 6 and the heat level was 9 for 10 minutes. Then the solution was cooled for 10 minutes. The solution was filtered using a Whatman Filter Paper no. 1 to obtain the water hyacinth leaf extract. 0.09g of AgNO3 salts were measured using a digital balance. It was dissolved in 500 ml distilled water through continuous