Ultrasonication-assisted green synthesis and characterization of gold nanoparticles from Nothapodytes foetida: An assessment of their antioxidant, antibacterial, anticancer and wound healing potential

Abstract

Nanotechnology and biogenic synthesis of metal nanoparticles using plants have attracted immense attention recently owing to their beneficial applications. Ultrasonication technique was employed for the rapid one-step phytochemical synthesis of AuNPs from the extracts of Nothapodytes foetida leaves. The N. foetida AuNPs exhibited the characteristic UV absorption peak at 524 nm. Several analytical techniques, including FESEM, TEM, XRD, FTIR, TGA, ICP and zeta potential analysis, were performed for their effective characterization. These analyses revealed highly stable (– 60.7 mV) crystalline AuNPs, majorly spherical, ranging between 5 and 30 nm. Furthermore, CCD-RSM was incorporated to determine the influence of the temperature, N. foetida leaf extract and HAuCl<inf>4</inf> concentration on the synthesis of AuNPs. LC-MS revealed the phytocompounds that contributed to AuNP synthesis which was subsequently confirmed by TPC and TFC reduction. Potent radical scavenging ability accompanied by the antibacterial activity of the AuNPs was also evaluated. Importantly, AuNPs also reduced the cell viability of MG63 and A549 cell lines, exhibiting significant anticancer activity along with appreciable wound-healing properties. These findings suggest that these AuNPs possess tremendous biological potentialities and can be bio-prospected further for various multidisciplinary applications. © 2023 Elsevier B.V.