Evaluation of Antioxidant Potential and Cytotoxic Effect of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles Synthesized from Red Seaweed Gracilaria corticata

Background

Marine algae have received increasing attention over the past two decades because of their rich nutritional composition and diverse medicinal properties. At the same time, nanoparticles have emerged as promising tools for various therapeutic applications. However, the use of Gracilaria corticata (G. corticata), a red seaweed, for the synthesis of iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) remains largely unexplored. Therefore, the present study aimed to synthesize IONPs using the aqueous extract of G. corticata and evaluate their antioxidant and anticancer potential.

Materials and Methods

Nutritional profiling of G. corticata by standard proximate analysis. Synthesis of IONPs and characterization by UV-visible Spectroscopy, FTIR and XRD analysis. Assessing antioxidant potential against DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, H₂O₂, and, Nitric Oxide radical inhibition assays and cytotoxic effect on A549 lung cancer cells.

Results

Proximate analysis of the aqueous extract of G. corticata showed the presence of moisture (9.52%), ash (13.76%), carbohydrates (57.40%), protein (13.39%), fiber (3.18%), and lipids (2.75%). The synthesized IONPs exhibited strong dose-dependent antioxidant activity, with more than 85% radical scavenging observed at 50 µg/mL across all assays. In addition, the nanoparticles demonstrated dose-dependent cytotoxicity against A549 lung cancer cells, with an IC₅₀ value of 71.3 µg/mL.

Conclusion

This study highlights that G. corticata-mediated IONPs may serve as promising candidates for treatment of lung cancer.