Is Astragalus gossypinus honey a natural antibacterial and cytotoxic agent? An investigation on A. gossypinus honey biological activity and its green synthesized silver nanoparticles

Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12668-019-00646-8

Nowadays, there are some inconsistent reports on antibacterial and other biological properties of honey. It seems that, depending on the type, geographical location and source of flowers, honey may or may not have antibacterial, anticancer, and wound healing properties. This natural product has a high potential to combat a variety of diseases, especially infectious diseases, however, directly using this substance in therapeutic processes faces some limitations. The aim of this study is to investigate the cytotoxicity and antibacterial behaviors of Astragalus gossypinus honey. Moreover, the potential of this honey, as an interface of natural products and nanobiotechnology, in the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles was investigated and the antibacterial and cytotoxicity properties of nanoparticles were also assessed. Based on the results, the honey does not show significant antibacterial and cytotoxic activity by itself, while it plays an efficient role in the synthesis and functionalization of stable silver nanoparticles (spherical, 42.7 nm). The honey-functionalized nanoparticles show an ambivalent cytotoxic effect against the L-929 cell line. So that they stimulate the viability of the cells at low concentrations, while they show toxicity toward them at concentrations above 50 μg/mL. The nanoparticles also have a good dose-dependent antibacterial activity against E. coli, P. aeruginosa, and S. aureus bacterial strains.