Eco-friendly synthesis and characterization of silver nanoparticles using turmeric extract and study anticancer activity

Abstract

Plant secondary metabolites have been identified as biologically active molecules for green synthesis and the unique biological applications of biosynthesized nanoparticles are also attracting interest in them. Focusing on the characterization of these nanoparticles and the assessment of their anticancer potential, this work presents a straightforward, environmentally friendly, dependable, and cost-effective method of synthesizing silver nanoparticles utilizing turmeric extract as natural reducing and capping agents. Various methods are used to analyze the biosynthesized silver nanoparticles, including ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive analysis, X-ray diffraction, and Fourier transform infrared. Characterization studies and a color shift verified the effective production of silver nanoparticles. The presence of a peak at 446 nm in the UV-Visible spectra suggests the development of nanoparticles. EDAX verified the existence of silver, whereas SEM showed uniformly shaped nanoparticles. XRD testing confirmed that the nanoparticles, which had a size of less than 100 nm, are in fact crystalline. Through research with Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) technology, it has been established that the extracts can contain bio-reducing compounds. The plant is able to reduce the viability of cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner particularly with the MCF-7 cell line (IC50 173.1) compared to the human normal cell line (WRL-68) (IC50 519.8). Scientists reported that the extracts of the turmeric are helpful in the eco-friendly synthesis of silver nanoparticles and the nanoparticles are found to have the potential to kill cancer cells. The results of this research bring hope in the quest for sustainable cancer treatment via plant-mediated synthesis. Silver nanoparticles reduced cell viability in a dose dependent manner for the MCF-7 human normal cell line (519.8) compared to the human normal cell line WRL-68 (173.1). The result indicates that it is possible to produce silver nanoparticles with turmeric extract in an efficient and environmentally friendly manner. These nanoparticles have anticancer properties. These results demonstrate the potential of plant-mediated synthesis in developing environmentally friendly anti-cancer drugs.