Structural characterization and biological properties of novel biosynthesized zinc oxide nanoparticles from the giant potato plant Ipomoea mauritiana Jacq.

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) are the subject of intense research due to their distinct catalytic, magnetic, electrical, optical, and biological capabilities. Due to limits in chemically produced nanoparticles, which are also shown to be environmentally toxic, it has been reported that plant-mediated production of these particles has attracted attention. Hence, the current work examined to biosynthesize zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) using Ipomoea mauritiana aqueous leaf extract (ImALE) and to structurally characterize them along with evaluation of biological properties. The UV–Vis spectra studies showed a peak at 384 nm authenticating the existence of ZnO with an energy band gap of 2.8 eV. The XRD data supported the crystallinity of the produced Im-ZnO-NPs with ~ 10.83 nm average size. The FT-IR spectra validated the participation of the secondary metabolites during the formation of nanoparticles with metal oxide bonds observed at 491.92 cm −1 . The produced particles’ morphology was observed by SEM, while EDS confirmed the high-quality Im-ZnO-NPs (98.66%). The antioxidant activities of Im-ZnO-NPs were also determined by FRSA and MC wherein 50% inhibition was observed at 1.66 mg mL −1 and 1.79 mg mL −1 , respectively, which was concentration-dependent. Additionally, the MTT assay discovered that a dosage of 1.59 mg mL −1 was efficient for 50% cytotoxicity against colon cancer cells (HT-29), and with the highest tested dose, the Im-ZnO-NPs also demonstrated significant alterations in apoptosis induction. As the Im-ZnO-NPs examined throughout the study had antioxidant and cytotoxic capabilities, a thorough examination on cell interaction and their intrinsic toxicity can possibly be facilitated using in vivo approaches prior to their beneficial use.