| Summary: | This study aimed to develop novel bio-nanofluids using <i>Solanum torvum</i> extracts in synergy with nanoparticles of different chemical nature as a proposal sustainable for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) applications. For this, saponin-rich extracts (SRE) were obtained from <i>Solanum torvum</i> fruit using ultrasound-assisted and Soxhlet extraction. The results revealed that Soxhlet is more efficient for obtaining SRE from <i>Solanum torvum</i> and that degreasing does not generate additional yields. SRE was characterized by Fourier transformed infrared spectrophotometry, thermogravimetric analysis, hydrophilic–lipophilic balance, and critical micelle concentration analyses. Bio-nanofluids based on SiO<sub>2</sub> (strong acid), ZrO<sub>2</sub> (acid), Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> (neutral), and MgO (basic) nanoparticles and SRE were designed to evaluate the effect of the chemical nature of the nanoparticles on the SRE performance. The results show that 100 mg L<sup>−1</sup> MgO nanoparticles improved the interfacial tension up to 57% and the capillary number increased by two orders of magnitude using this bio-nanofluid. SRE solutions enhanced with MgO recovered about 21% more than the system in the absence of nanoparticles. The addition of MgO nanoparticles did not cause a loss of injectivity. This is the first study on the surface-active properties of <i>Solanum torvum</i> enhanced with nanomaterials as an environmentally friendly EOR process.
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