Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles From  Cichorium intybus  L. Extract and Evaluation of Its Intrinsic In Vivo Antiarthritic Activity

ABSTRACT

The development of effective treatment methods for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with mitigated side effects and improved efficacy is the need of the time. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have been used as anti‐inflammatory medications for the treatment of RA. This study investigates phyto‐nanoparticles based on Cichorium intybus , commonly known as chicory, a plant with a long history of use in traditional medicine due to its diverse pharmacological properties. The in vivo antiarthritic properties of this plant extract and AgNPs of C. intybus have not been studied yet. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report ever to evaluate the antiarthritic potential of C. intybus aqueous seed extract and its biosynthesized AgNPs. AgNPs were characterized via UV, FTIR, SEM, and XRD techniques after being optimized by screening several factors, including time, temperature, pH, and concentration. For investigating the antiarthritic potential of biosynthesized AgNPs, albino rats were used. The results suggested that C. intybus seed extract and its biosynthesized AgNPs have marked anti‐inflammatory effects in the rat arthritis models by lowering the edema in comparison to the untreated rats. X‐Ray analysis, hematological studies, and histological reports further supported that biosynthesized AgNPs have a promising anti‐inflammatory effect on arthritis.