Screening of Phenolic Compounds from Spinach (Spinacia oleracea), Green Synthesis of Iron-Nanoparticles and Determination of its Anti-Microbial Effect on Escherichia coli

Abstract Nanotechnology now a days recognized and widely accepted technology in industrial sector including therapeutic industry, tissue engineering, micro-electronics, automation, and drugs industry. Spinach contains phytochemicals such as saponins, tannins, flavonoids, terpenoids, phlobatannins, phenols and glycosides. Spinach extract is beneficial for anti-aging and protection of central nervous systems along with cure from iron deficiency, oxidative stress, diabetes, hepato-toxicity, and many diseases of eyes. Due to biodiversity of plants, green synthesis of iron nanoparticles has great potential. In this experiment phytochemical analysis of Spinach extracts were done. Initial phytochemical analysis indicated the presence of tannins, flavonoids, phlobatannins, terpenoids and saponins at different concentration of spinach extracts. Terpenoids, flavonoids, and phlobatannins were present in aqueous extract while presence of saponins and tannins were observed in ethyl acetate extract. Iron nanoparticles were synthesized from spinach leaves extract in the presence of FeCl3. Characterization of iron nanoparticles was done by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy analysis (FT-IR), UV-visible spectrophotometry and scanning electron microscopic analysis (SEM) and X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD). Green synthesis of iron nanoparticles was performed to investigate the antibacterial activity against human pathogen Escherichia coli. Thus, it is concluded in this study that biosynthesized iron nanoparticles have potential of biomedical activities that would be a robust benchmark for scientists towards sustainability.