2.2 Preparation of olive fruit extract (OFE)

Healthy fruits without any physical damage or infection (featured by reddish-brown spots or fungal spores) were selected. Fresh OF pulps (10 g) were utilized for ultrasound-assisted extraction with ethanol: water (80: 20 mL) solvent at 50°C for 30 min, as shown in Scheme 1. The sonicated solution was then filtered using nylon syringe filters (pore size of 0.45 µm), and the obtained extract was further defatted by n-hexane partitioning. Afterward, the extract was dried in a water bath at 45°C to obtain a semi-solid form.

Schematic illustration for the biosynthesis of AgNPs using olive fruit extract and sunlight irradiation.