Antitumor activity of zinc oxide nanoparticles fused with green extract of Nigella sativa

Abstract

Zinc oxide nanoparticles have attracted considerable attention as promising candidates in various fields, especially in the realm of medical science. In the present experimental study, the co-precipitation method was used to synthesize chemical and green ZnO NPs. Zinc nitrate Zn (NO3)2 served as the main precursor, while sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and Nigella sativa extract were used to synthesize chemical and green Zinc Oxide nanoparticle, respectively. Then, the chemical and green fabricated Zinc Oxide nanoparticles were subjected to annealing at 400 °C and 550 °C temperature for a period of 2 hours respectively. After final product obtained, various characterization techniques were employed to validate the crystal structure, morphology, optical properties, and functional groups (e.g., OH stretching group, ZnO mode, etc.) via XRD, SEM, UV–Vis, and FTIR analysis. The Scherer formula was applied to calculate the average crystalline size of green and chemical fabricated Zinc Oxide nanoparticles, which confirmed the presence of the hexagonal wurtzite phase. Moreover, the fabricated products were finally tested for anticancer activity using MTT assay by optimizing cellular absorption against concentration. The MTT assay confirmed significant antitumor/anticancer efficacy against HepG2 cancer cells for both green actively and chemical fabricated Zinc Oxide nanoparticles superficial. The current development of this novel experimental strategy is anticipated to make a substantial contribution in the field of biomedical sciences, particularly in anticancer activity.

Keywords

• Green synthesis
• ZnO NPs
• FTIR analysis
• Antitumor/anticancer activity