Development of Antimicrobial Films Using Eri Silk Fibroin Blended With Green-Synthesized Silver Nanoparticles Against Common Human Pathogens.

The phyto-fabrication of nanoparticles offers an eco-friendly route to novel functional materials. This study demonstrates the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using Aloe vera (L.) Burm.f. extract and their incorporation into an Eri silk fibroin (ESF) film to create a novel antimicrobial biomaterial. The AgNPs and the resulting composite films were characterized via UV-Vis, FTIR, and SEM-EDX analyses. Incorporating the green-synthesized AgNPs significantly enhanced the film's physical properties, resulting in high porosity (up to 88.46%) and an optimal water vapor transmission rate (2503.19 g/m2/day). The final ESF-AVAg composite film exhibited potent, broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity. Specifically, the Zone of Inhibition (ZOI) area for the optimal concentration (AVAg6) was 13.00 mm2 against Escherichia coli, 13.69 mm2 against Staphylococcus aureus, and 17.55 mm2 against Candida albicans, significantly outperforming the controls. This work successfully bridges sustainable green synthesis with biomaterial engineering, demonstrating that Aloe vera-derived AgNPs can be effectively integrated into a silk fibroin matrix to produce a high-performance antimicrobial film.