Assessing anticancer, antidiabetic, and antioxidant capacities in green-synthesized zinc oxide nanoparticles and solvent-based plant extracts

Sammanfattning

Cancer and diabetes represent significant challenges in the field of biomedicine, with major and global impacts on public health. Acacia nilotica, , commonly called 'gum arabic tree,' is recognized for its unique biomedical properties. The current study aimed to investigate the pharmacological potential of A. nilotica-based-based zinc-oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) in comparison to the ethanol and methanol-based extracts against cancer, diabetes, and oxidative stress. Green synthesis of ZnONPs was performed using barks of Acacia nilotica. . Different techniques for the characterization of ZnO-NPs, including UV-Visible spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy, Fourier Transmission Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and X-ray Diffraction (XRD), were utilized. The morphological analysis of ZnO-NPs revealed that the fine NPs have mean particle sizes of 15 +/- 1.5 nm. For the solvent based-extraction, leaves and barks were utilized and dissolved into ethanol and methanol for further processing. The MTT assay revealed that the optimum concentration of ZnONPs to inhibit the proliferation of liver cancer cell line HepG2 was 100 mu g/mL where 67.0 % inhibition was observed; and both ethanol- and methanol-based extracts showed optimum inhibition at 100 mu g/mL. The DPPH assay further demonstrated that 250 mu g/mL of ZnO-NPs and 1000 mu g/mL of both ethanol- and methanol-based extracts, as the optimum concentration for antioxidant activity (with 73.1 %, 68.9 % and 68.2 % inhibition respectively). The alpha-Glucosidase inhibition assay revealed that 250 mu g/mL of ZnO-NPs and 10 mu g/mL of both ethanol- and methanol- based extracts as the optimum concentration for antidiabetic activity (with 95 %, 93.7 % and 93.4 % inhibition respectively). The study provided interesting insights into the efficacy and reliability of ZnO-NPs for potential pharmacological application. Further research should be focused on examining specific pathways and the safety of ZnO-NPs in comparison to solvent- based extracts.

Nyckelord

Acacia nilotica; Liver cancer; HepG2; alpha-Glucosidase inhibition assay; DPPH assay

Publicerad i

Heliyon
2024, Volym: 10, nummer: 14, artikelnummer: e34073

SLU författare

• Yong, Jean W.H

  • Institutionen för biosystem och teknologi, Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet
    

UKÄ forskningsämne

Cancer och onkologi
Biokemi och molekylärbiologi
Materialkemi


Publikationens identifierare

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e34073

Permanent länk till denna sida (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/131178