Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais / The teas from Camellia sinensis plant are traditionally used medicinal form due to the fact they contain bioproducts with antioxidant power and are able to prevent and even cure some diseases like cancer. The products responsible for the benefits in human health are the catechins, polyphenols low molecular weight class. Membrane separation technology can be used for clarification, purification, or concentration for different products. Thus, this paper aims to extract and purify the phenolic compounds present in green, black and white tea, using water as a solvent for extraction and membranes for purification. The leaves of Camellia sinensis were subjected to infusion at the concentration of 100 g of leaves into 1 L of water, at first was analyzed the extraction of phenolic compounds at temperatures ranging from 30 to 80 ° C for different times (0 to 120 min), and the extract was filtered through filter cloth. Subsequently analyzed as pre-treatment with chitosan (20 to 100 ppm), centrifugation (20 min at 80000 rpm) and microfiltration (cellulose ester membranes with porosity of 0,22, 0,3 and 0,8 μm to 0,7 bar). The ultrafiltration process was performed at 6 bar and the feed was the permeate from the microfiltration membrane with a 0.8 μm pore size. The ultrafiltration membranes used was from NADIR polyethersulfone with molecular weight cutoff of 5, 10, 20 and 30 kDa, in a process with recycle. The ultrafiltration tests were also conducted with application of ultrasound and electromagnetic field. The flows obtained from the micro and ultrafiltration was used to calculate the fouling mechanism (applying mathematical model, to define the mechanism responsible for the decay of flow) and to calculate the resistance of the membranes. All these procedures were first performed with green tea and the process that best results were used for black tea and white tea. Samples obtained in each case were analyzed for the concentration of phenolics (Folin-Ciocalteu reagent), turbidity, color intensity, the concentration of solids, proteins and chromatographic analysis (HPLC). It was also analyzed the formation of tea cream front of the micro and ultrafiltration processes, and for this the samples were stored under refrigeration (5 °C) for 16 h. It was observed that compared to the results of pre-treatments that chitosan was obtained a better reduction of solids contained in the extract (56,22%), but microfiltration membrane with porosity of 0,8 μm was used as pre ultrafiltration-treatment as well as reducing the concentration of solids, showed low reduction of phenolic compounds and showed higher stabilized flow value (10,27 kgm-2h-1). Among the different conditions applied in the ultrafiltration, ultrasound has lower resistance, increase in flux (12,24%) stabilized, reduction of rejection of phenolic compounds (25,64%) and the permeate was stable even after 30 days storage under refrigeration. For green tea permeated analyzed EGCG, which was obtained in larger amount (39,55%) for the 20 kDa membrane in the conventional process. . For the process using ultrasound this value increased to 41,60%. Thus, it is concluded that micro and ultrafiltration processes can be applied and the permeate obtained in the ultrafiltration are more stable than the microfiltration and had purified phenolic compounds. / Os chás provenientes da planta Camellia sinensis são tradicionalmente utilizados de forma medicinal devido ao fato de conterem bioprodutos com grande poder antioxidante. Os bioprodutos responsáveis pelos benefícios na saúde humana são as catequinas, classe de polifenóis de baixo peso molecular. A tecnologia de separação por membranas pode ser utilizada para clarificação, purificação ou concentração de diversos produtos e bioprodutos. Assim, este trabalho tem como objetivo extrair e purificar os compostos fenólicos presentes no chá verde, preto e branco, usando água como solvente para extração e membranas para purificação. Assim, as folhas da Camellia sinensis foram submetidas à infusão em água na concentração de 100 g de folhas para 1 L de água, primeiramente analisou-se a extração dos compostos fenólicos em temperaturas que variaram de 30 a 80°C em diferentes tempos (0 a 120 min), sendo que o extrato obtido foi filtrado em filtro de pano. Posteriormente analisou-se como pré-tratamento a coagulação com quitosana (20 a 100 ppm), a centrifugação (20 min a 80000 rpm) e a microfiltração (membranas de éster de celulose com porosidade de 0,22, 0,3 e 0,8 μm a 0,7 bar). Os processo de ultrafiltração foram realizados a 6 bar e tinham como alimentação o permeado da microfiltração com membrana de 0,8 μm de porosidade. Na ultrafiltração utilizou-se membranas NADIR de poliétersulfona com peso molecular de corte de 5, 10, 20 e 30 kDa, em um processo com reciclo. Os ensaios de ultrafiltração foram conduzidos também com aplicação de ultrassom e campo eletromagnético. Os fluxos obtidos na micro e na ultrafiltração foram utilizados para calcular o mecanismo de fouling ( aplicando modelagem matemática, para definir o mecanismo responsável pelo decaimento do fluxo) e para calcular as resistências das membranas. Todos estes procedimentos foram realizados primeiramente com o chá verde e o processo que apresentou melhor resultado foi utilizado para o chá preto e o chá branco. As amostras obtidas em cada processo foram analisadas quanto a concentração de fenólicos totais (Folin-Ciocalteu), turbidez, intensidade de cor, concentração de sólidos, proteínas e análise cromatográfica (HPLC). Analisou-se ainda a formação de tea cream frente aos processos de micro e ultrafiltração, sendo que para isso as amostras foram armazenadas sob refrigeração (5°C) durante 16 h. Observou-se que em relação aos resultados dos pré-tratamentos a quitosana foi a que obteve uma maior redução dos sólidos presentes no extrato (56,22%), porém a microfiltração com a membrana de 0,8 μm de porosidade foi utilizada como pré-tratamento da ultrafiltração pois além de reduzir a concentração de sólidos, apresentou baixa redução dos compostos fenólicos e apresentou maior valor de fluxo estabilizado (10,27 kg/m²h). Dentre os processos de ultrafiltração, aquele que se destacou com os melhores resultados foi a filtração com membrana de 20 kDa, ou seja, apresentou um permeado estável, sem formação de tea cream, maior teor de compostos fenólicos e menores valores de resistências. Entre as diferentes condições aplicadas na ultrafiltração, o ultrassom apresentou menor resistência, aumento no fluxo (12,24%) estabilizado, diminuição da rejeição dos compostos fenólicos (25,64%) e ainda o permeado permaneceu estável após 30 dias armazenado sob refrigeração. Para os permeados de chá verde analisados o EGCG, foi o que se obteve em maior quantidade (39,55%) para a membrana de 30 kDa no processo convencional. Para o processo utilizando ultrassom este valor passou para 41,60. Assim, conclui-se que os processos de micro e ultrafiltração podem ser aplicados sendo que os permeados obtidos nas ultrafiltrações são mais estáveis que os da microfiltração e apresentam compostos fenólicos purificados. / Mestre em Engenharia Química

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / Camellia sinensis (tea) and Aspalathus linearis (rooibos) may improve reproductive function owing to their antioxidant properties. To test this hypothesis, male and female rats were given 2% and 5% green tea (Gt), black tea (Bt), unfermented rooibos (Ur) or fermented rooibos (Fr) as sole source of drinking for 52 and 21 days respectively. Control rats received tap water. In addition, TM3 Leydig cells were exposed to 0.025, 0.05, 0.1 and 0.5 % aqueous extracts of green tea, black tea, unfermented and fermented rooibos for 24h. In vitro analysis of tea and the herbal infusion revealed the phenolic property and antioxidant capacity (FRAP) in the order Gt > Bt > Ur > Fr. Camellia sinensis and Aspalathus linearis revealed no significant effect on serum antioxidant capacity (p > 0.05) and lipid peroxidation (MDA) in the kidney or liver in both male and female rats and in the testes of the male rats (p > 0.05). In addition, the antioxidant levels were maintained in the testes, liver and kidneys in both the male and female rats. In the male rats, no significant alterations were observed in body weight gain, liver and reproductive organs weight, and serum testosterone (p > 0.05). Only, 5% green tea significantly increased testosterone level (p < 0.05). Seminiferous tubules displayed complete spermatogenesis with abundant sperm in the lumen in all treated groups. However, a significant decrease in diameter and germinal epithelial height of these tubules were observed (p < 0.05). In the epididymides, epithelial height of caput region showed a significant increase (p < 0.01), while the cauda region was increased by Camellia sinensis but decreased by Aspalathus linearis. Sperm concentration improved significantly by green tea and unfermented rooibos (p < 0.05), while black tea and fermented rooibos produced a non significant effect (p > 0.05). Sperm viability was enhanced in all treatment groups (p < 0.05). Furthermore, green tea, black tea and unfermented rooibos significantly improved the motility of rat sperm (p < 0.05); fermented rooibos tended to improve it (p > 0.05). In addition, green tea, black tea and fermented rooibos enhanced acrosome reaction (p < 0.05). Creatinine activity was significantly higher in rats treated with black tea, unfermented rooibos or fermented rooibos (p < 0.05), green tea tended to increase it (p > 0.05) reflecting the significant increased kidney weight in the treatment groups at high concentrations. Liver markers, ALT and AST, decreased significantly in all treated groups (p < 0.05), except in 5% fermented rooibos where a significant increase in AST level was observed (p < 0.01). In the female rats, the body weight gain, and reproductive organs weight was no affected (p > 0.05). However, 5% fermented rooibos reduced the ovarian weight (p < 0.05), while 5% unfermented rooibos significantly increased the uterine weight (p < 0.05). Liver weight increased significantly by black tea and unfermented rooibos (p < 0.05) while the kidney weight increased significantly by 5% black tea (p < 0.05). No significant effect was observed in the level of FSH produced, on the other hand, Camellia sinensis significantly lowered the level of LH (p < 0.05), while Aspalathus linearis had no effect (p > 0.05). Creatinine activity was enhanced significantly only by 5% fermented rooibos (p < 0.05). Liver markers, ALT and AST were reduced in most treated groups except in fermented rooibos where an increase was observed. In addition, histological sections revealed no obvious alteration in the ovaries, uteri, kidneys and liver of all treated female rats. Camellia sinensis and Aspalathus linearis significantly reduced the level of testosterone produced in TM3 Leydig cells under stimulated conditions in vitro (p< 0.05). Furthermore, both plants maintained the viability and morphology of the cells. However, at 0.5% of either plant extracts, a significant decrease in the viability (p < 0.05) and altered morphology of the TM3 Leydig cells was observed. In conclusion, Camellia sinensis and Aspalathus linearis significantly improved certain sperm function which might be attributed to their high level of antioxidant activity. However, the prolonged exposure of both plant extracts might result in subtle structural changes in the male reproductive system and impair kidney function. In addition, fermented rooibos at high concentration may also impair the functions of the liver. In vitro, both plants were shown to possess anti-androgenic property on TM3 Leydig cells. Furthermore, both Camellia sinensis and Aspalathus linearis may be classified as weak phytoestrogens due to the changes in the weight of the uterus and ovaries observed. / South Africa

Tea is the most popular beverage worldwide, second only to water. The United States is the third largest importer of tea in the world, importing a total of about 260 million pounds tea annually. With increased demand for locally sourced food products, questions are raised regarding whether domestic production of tea is feasible. Compared to major tea producing countries with centuries of growing history, tea production in the U.S. is limited and requires research support in many aspects of tea production. The objectives of this study were to investigate plant growth, leaf morphology, and seasonal chemical compositions in tea leaves of nine tea cultivars grown in Mississippi, United States; evaluate the effects of black, blue and red shade nets on plant growth and seasonal leaf quality of tea plants; and investigate the content of mineral nutrients in tea leaves of different cultivars and one cultivar under different colors of shade nets. The nine tested tea cultivars varied in plant growth, leaf morphology, cold tolerance, biochemical composition [including soluble solids, carbohydrates, total polyphenols (TP), free amino acids (AA), L-theanine, and caffeine], and mineral content in tea leaves. Among all cultivars transplanted to the field from one-gallon containers in spring 2017, ‘BL2’ had the greatest plant growth index (PGI) when measured in Feb. 2018 and Feb. 2019, which may be helpful toward suppressing weeds and early establishment of a tea plantation. ‘Christine’s Choice’ had the highest content of nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, zinc, iron, and boron, and the second highest content of potassium, calcium, and magnesium. The cultivars evaluated in this study generally adapted well to the local environment. All tea samples collected from the nine cultivars and three seasons were considered suitable for green tea processing with low total polyphenol to free amino acids ratios (TP/AA) ranging from 1.72 to 3.71. When compared to unshaded control, black, blue, and red shade nets increased PGI, net photosynthetic rate, and stomatal conductance, decreased N content in tea leaves, decreased air and leaf surface temperatures in summer and reduced cold damage in winter. Red shade nets were considered helpful for improving green tea quality by increasing the content of L-theanine and free amino acids in tea leaves collected in spring and fall compared to unshaded control.

Objetivo: Evaluar el efecto de la incorporación de Camellia sinensis L. (2%, 4% y 6% de extracto de té verde) sobre el contenido de compuesto fenólicos, capacidad antioxidante y aceptación sensorial de un yogurt probiótico. Material y métodos: Estudio experimental de laboratorio dónde se elaboró un yogurt probiótico con té verde añadido en distintas concentraciones de 2%, 4% y 6%. Además, se evaluó la aceptabilidad sensorial y se analizó las características físicoquímicas de cada muestra. Asimismo, para determinar el contenido de polifenoles se utilizó el método de Folin-Ciocalteau y, el método de DPPH (2,2-difenil-1-1-picrilhidrazilo) para determinar la capacidad antioxidante. Resultados: Se encontró que en el yogurt probiótico con 6% de té verde añadido había 1.64 mg/mL de contenido de polifenoles, casi el triple del contenido de polifenoles que en el yogurt probiótico con 2% de té verde añadido. Además, se encontró que el yogurt con mayor porcentaje de té verde añadido (6%) obtuvo 61% de decoloración del reactivo de DPPH, lo que nos indica mayor capacidad antioxidante a comparación de las muestras con menor porcentaje de té verde añadido. Conclusión: A mayor contenido de compuestos fenólicos, mayor es la capacidad antioxidante de un yogurt probiótico con té verde añadido, además de ser el que mayor aceptabilidad sensorial alcanzó, siendo su olor y sabor los atributos más apreciados por los panelistas no entrenados quienes le otorgaron un puntaje de 4 en una escala hedónica de 5 puntos, lo que equivale a un “le gusta moderadamente”. / Objective: To evaluate the effect of Camellia sinensis L. (2%, 4% and 6% of green tea extract) incorporation on the content of phenolic compounds, antioxidant capacity and sensory acceptance of a probiotic yogurt. Material and methods: In this experimental laboratory study, probiotic yogurt with added green tea was elaborated using three concentrations of green tea extract (2%, 4% and 6%), and the sensory acceptability and the physical-chemical characteristics were determined for each concentration. Likewise, to determine the content of polyphenols, the Folin-Ciocalteau method was used, and the DPPH method (2,2-diphenyl-1-1-picrylhydrazyl) was used to determine the antioxidant capacity. Results: It was found that in the probiotic yogurt with 6% green tea extract added there was 1.64 mg / mL of polyphenol content, almost triple the polyphenol content than in the probiotic yogurt with 2% green tea added. In addition, it was found that the yogurt with the highest percentage of green tea added (6%) obtained 61% discoloration of the DPPH reagent, which indicates greater antioxidant capacity compared to samples with a lower percentage of green tea added. Conclusion: The higher the content of phenolic compounds, the greater the antioxidant capacity of a probiotic yogurt with green tea added, besides being the one with the highest sensory acceptability, its smell and taste were the attributes most appreciated by the untrained panelists who gave it a score of 4 on a hedonic scale of 5 points, which is equivalent to a "moderately like". / Tesis

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:29:44Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2006-07-18Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T20:19:58Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 souza_ec_me_ilha.pdf: 505202 bytes, checksum: b2e8a6c8e22a5805a00f3381be5d40df (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / O mal-do-fio (ou queima-do-fio) é uma doença causada pelo fungo Basidiomiceto Ceratobasidium sp., que afeta diversas plantas frutíferas nativas ou cultivadas. A doença ocorre com mais freqüência em zonas de alta precipitação e temperaturas elevadas, típicas de regiões de florestas tropicais como a Amazônia e a Mata Atlântica. Em São Paulo, recentemente detectou-se a ocorrência do mal-do-fio, em caquizeiro na região de Mogi das Cruzes. Essa doença pode- se tornar importante com a expansão do cultivo de fruteiras no Estado. A maioria das pesquisas sobre o patossistema focalizou a epidemiologia e o controle do fungo. Entretanto a etiologia do patógeno ainda não está totalmente definida, especialmente para populações do fungo infectando caqui e chá no Estado de São Paulo. Há também pouca informação sobre a divergência genética entre populações do patógeno de hospedeiros distintos como caqui e chá. O primeiro objetivo deste trabalho foi determinar o posicionamento filogenético global de populações de Ceratobasidium sp. do caqui e do chá, em relação a espécies de Ceratobasidium sp. descritas no mundo. Foram analisadas seqüências de DNA da região ITS-5.8S do rDNA, inferindo-se a história dos alelos ou haplótipos deste lócus, por meio de métodos filogenéticos, cladísticos e coalescentes. Observou-se que uso de C. noxium é apropriado para denominar espécies associadas ao mal-do- fio em caqui e chá, apesar de C. noxium do caqui e do chá constituírem populações filogeneticamente independentes, as quais denominamos de Grupo Diospyrus e Grupo Camellia. Este estudo trouxe uma contribuição importante para a compreensão das relações filogenéticas e biologia de populações de C. noxium em caqui e chá. Uma vez esclarecidas as questões filogenéticas, o segundo objetivo deste trabalho foi testar a patogenicidade cruzada de... / The white-thread blight is a disease caused by the Basidiomycete fungus Ceratobasidium sp. that affects several native or cropped tree fruits. This disease frequently occurs in zones of high precipitation and high temperatures typical of the tropical forest regions such as the Amazon and the Atlantic Forest. In São Paulo, the occurrence of the white-thread blight was detected only recently on kaki orchards closer to Mogi das Cruzes. That disease can become important with the expansion of the fruit trees cropping areas in the State. Most of the researches about the pathosystem has focused on the epidemiology and control of fungus. However the etiology of the pathogen is not totally defined yet, especially for the fungus populations infecting kaki and tea in São Paulo State. There is also little information available about the biological and genetic divergence between pathogen populations from distinct hosts, such as kaki and tea. The first objective of this research was to determine the global phylogenetic placement of populations of Ceratobasidium from kaki and tea, considering the species of Ceratobasidium described throughout the world. Sequences of the ITS-5.8S region of the rDNA were analyzed, inferring the alleles or haplotypes history for this locus, by phylogenetics, cladistisc and coalescent methods. We observed that the use of C. noxium is appropriate to denominate the fungus species associate with the white-thread blight on kaki and tea, despite the fact that C. noxium from kaki and tea constitutes phylogenetically independent populations, which we denominate Diospyrus and Camellia groups. This study brought an important contribution for the understanding of the phylogenetics and population biology of C. noxium infecting kaki and tea. Once the phylogenetics subjects have been cleared, the second objective of this work was to test the cross-pathogenicity... (Complete abstract, access electronic address below)

Resumo: O mal-do-fio (ou queima-do-fio) é uma doença causada pelo fungo Basidiomiceto Ceratobasidium sp., que afeta diversas plantas frutíferas nativas ou cultivadas. A doença ocorre com mais freqüência em zonas de alta precipitação e temperaturas elevadas, típicas de regiões de florestas tropicais como a Amazônia e a Mata Atlântica. Em São Paulo, recentemente detectou-se a ocorrência do mal-do-fio, em caquizeiro na região de Mogi das Cruzes. Essa doença pode- se tornar importante com a expansão do cultivo de fruteiras no Estado. A maioria das pesquisas sobre o patossistema focalizou a epidemiologia e o controle do fungo. Entretanto a etiologia do patógeno ainda não está totalmente definida, especialmente para populações do fungo infectando caqui e chá no Estado de São Paulo. Há também pouca informação sobre a divergência genética entre populações do patógeno de hospedeiros distintos como caqui e chá. O primeiro objetivo deste trabalho foi determinar o posicionamento filogenético global de populações de Ceratobasidium sp. do caqui e do chá, em relação a espécies de Ceratobasidium sp. descritas no mundo. Foram analisadas seqüências de DNA da região ITS-5.8S do rDNA, inferindo-se a história dos alelos ou haplótipos deste lócus, por meio de métodos filogenéticos, cladísticos e coalescentes. Observou-se que uso de C. noxium é apropriado para denominar espécies associadas ao mal-do- fio em caqui e chá, apesar de C. noxium do caqui e do chá constituírem populações filogeneticamente independentes, as quais denominamos de Grupo Diospyrus e Grupo Camellia. Este estudo trouxe uma contribuição importante para a compreensão das relações filogenéticas e biologia de populações de C. noxium em caqui e chá. Uma vez esclarecidas as questões filogenéticas, o segundo objetivo deste trabalho foi testar a patogenicidade cruzada de... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: The white-thread blight is a disease caused by the Basidiomycete fungus Ceratobasidium sp. that affects several native or cropped tree fruits. This disease frequently occurs in zones of high precipitation and high temperatures typical of the tropical forest regions such as the Amazon and the Atlantic Forest. In São Paulo, the occurrence of the white-thread blight was detected only recently on kaki orchards closer to Mogi das Cruzes. That disease can become important with the expansion of the fruit trees cropping areas in the State. Most of the researches about the pathosystem has focused on the epidemiology and control of fungus. However the etiology of the pathogen is not totally defined yet, especially for the fungus populations infecting kaki and tea in São Paulo State. There is also little information available about the biological and genetic divergence between pathogen populations from distinct hosts, such as kaki and tea. The first objective of this research was to determine the global phylogenetic placement of populations of Ceratobasidium from kaki and tea, considering the species of Ceratobasidium described throughout the world. Sequences of the ITS-5.8S region of the rDNA were analyzed, inferring the alleles or haplotypes history for this locus, by phylogenetics, cladistisc and coalescent methods. We observed that the use of C. noxium is appropriate to denominate the fungus species associate with the white-thread blight on kaki and tea, despite the fact that C. noxium from kaki and tea constitutes phylogenetically independent populations, which we denominate Diospyrus and Camellia groups. This study brought an important contribution for the understanding of the phylogenetics and population biology of C. noxium infecting kaki and tea. Once the phylogenetics subjects have been cleared, the second objective of this work was to test the cross-pathogenicity... (Complete abstract, access electronic address below) / Orientador: Paulo Cezar Ceresini / Coorientador: Alcebíades Ribeiro Campos / Banca: Adriana Zanin Kronka / Banca: Cézar Junior Bueno / Mestre

M. Tech. (Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Applied and Computer Sciences), Vaal University of Technology / The present study includes the use of a green synthetic method to prepare copper and silver nanoparticles using chitosan, aqueous extracts of Camellia sinensis, Combretum molle and Melia azedarach linn leaves. This study aims to investigate the influence of capping and precursor concentration on the properties of silver nanoparticles with emphasis on the medicinal plants chosen. The effect of capping agent on the properties of copper nanoparticles is also investigated. The phytochemical properties of plant extracts and the antimicrobial activity of the synthesized particles were also studied; this was achieved by using microdilution bioassay. Decoction method was used to extract secondary metabolites from plant leaves. Preliminary phytochemical screening carried out on the aqueous extracts of the plant leaves showed the presence of tannins, proteins, flavonoids, phenols, and carbohydrates. The total phenolic and flavonoids content of the aqueous extract was determined using spectroscopic methods. The highest phenolic content was found in the aqueous extract of Combretum molle (135 mg/g), and the highest flavonoid content was found in the aqueous extract of Camellia sinensis (0.4 mg/g). Characterization was done by a combination of spectroscopic, microscopy and XRD techniques. Both the size and shape of the synthesized silver nanoparticles were dependent on the identity of the capping molecule, precursor and capping agent concentration as depicted from their TEM and XRD results. Silver nanoparticles were found to be predominantly spherical. The capping agent concentration was also found to influence the degree of agglomeration, with an increase in capping agent concentration giving lesser agglomeration. FTIR spectral analysis showed that silver nanoparticles interact with bioactive compounds found in the plants through the hydroxyl functional group. Other shapes including diamond were observed for the effect of precursor concentration. The XRD micrographs revealed a face-centered cubic geometry and the phase remained the same with an increase in precursor concentration. The synthesized silver nanoparticles were all blue shifted compared to the bulk material. The TEM results revealed that copper nanoparticles with different sizes and shapes were successfully synthesized. All the prepared copper and silver nanoparticles showed satisfactory antifungal and antibacterial activity against Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Klebsiella pneumonia and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The capping molecules used in this study also showed some antibacterial and antifungal activity against the selected strains. However nanoparticles performed better than these capping molecules. Both silver and copper nanoparticles were found to be more active against gram-negative bacteria compared to gram-positive bacteria. Amongst all the prepared silver nanoparticles Combretum molle capped nanoparticles were found to be the most active nanoparticles. Also with copper nanoparticles, it was found that Combretum molle capped nanoparticles were the most active nanoparticles. Between the two metal nanoparticles, silver nanoparticles showed high antibacterial and antifungal activity compared to copper nanoparticles. The antioxidant activity of silver nanoparticles was assessed using 2.2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl. Silver nanoparticles were found to have some antioxidant activity. However, the capping molecules were found to be more active than the synthesized nanoparticles. This observation is attributed to the presence of some bioactive compounds in the plant extracts.