Volume 20, Issue 46, July - December, 2026

Green Synthesis of Propolis-Ag Nanoparticles Using the Propolis Extract and Their Antimicrobial Activity

Song-Sik Kim¹, Song-Jin Pak¹, Chol-Hong², Chol-Jin Hwang², Kwang-Il To¹, Su-Chol Rim^1♦, Jong-Chol Son³, Il-Song Pang⁴

¹Institute of Chemical Biology, University of Science, Pyongyang, DPR Korea
²Faculty of Life Science, University of Science, Pyongyang, DPR Korea
³Department of Basic Science, Kim Bo Hyon University, Pyongyang, DPR Korea
⁴Agro-Biological Faculty, Pyongyang University of Agriculture, Pyongyang, DPR Korea

^♦Corresponding Author
Su-Chol Rim, Institute of Chemical Biology, University of Science, Pyongyang, DPR KoreaSu-Chol Rim, Institute of Chemical Biology, University of Science, Pyongyang, DPR Korea

ABSTRACT

Silver nanoparticles are expected to play an important role in solving the problem of multi-drug resistant bacteria emergence in the healthcare sector. Silver nanoparticles are synthesized in various ways, but the preparation of silver nanoparticles using biomass has attracted the attention of many researchers. The preparation of nanoparticles by biological method has many advantages such as low cost, simple fabrication process and environmental safeness. Propolis has been widely used as a folk medicine in the world since ancient times because of their high antimicrobial, antiviral, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Especially, the bio-synthesized metallic nanoparticles using the Propolis extract could be used to prevent and cure many bacterial and viral diseases due to synergistic effect of antimicrobial and antiviral activity of the propolis extract and the metallic nanoparticles. In this paper, we synthesized Ag nanoparticles by bio-reduction method using Propolis extract. The Surface Plasmon Resonance property of manufactured Ag nanoparticles was 422 nm, the average particle size was 10nm and the zeta potential value was -36.3mV. We also demonstrated that Propolis-Ag nanoparticles had a strong antimicrobial activity against Escherichia Coli O111. These results could provide the possibility of propolissilver nanoparticles as antimicrobial agents.

Keywords: Propolis-extract, Propolis-Ag nanoparticles dispersions, Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR), Zeta Potential, Antimicrobial Activity

Drug Discovery, 2026, 20(45), e16dd3093

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Published: 27 July 2026