Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles from Secamone emetica: Characterization and Assessment of Antioxidant, Anti-Diabetic and Anti-Cancer Activities against MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cells

Background

Green-synthesized nanoparticles offer eco-friendly advantages over physical and chemical methods, utilizing plant extracts as natural capping, reducing and stabilizing agents. While Secamone emetica is renowned for its traditional medicinal applications, its potential in green nanoparticle synthesis remains unexplored, offering a promising avenue for research.

Objectives

This study aimed to synthesize silver Nanoparticles (AgNPs) using aqueous leaf and stem extracts of Secamone emetica and evaluate their antioxidant, anti-diabetic and anti-cancer properties.

Materials and Methods

The aqueous extracts of S. emetica Leaf (SL) and Stem (SS) were used for the green synthesis of AgNPs. The bio-reduction of silver ions by these extracts was validated through UV-visible spectroscopy, X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). Antioxidant activities were evaluated using DPPH+ and ABTS˙+ radical scavenging assays. The anti-diabetic potential was evaluated through α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibition assays. Cytotoxic effects on MCF-7 breast cancer cell lines were assessed at 100 µg/mL concentration.

Results

SL-AgNPs exhibited higher antioxidant activity compared to SS-AgNPs in both DPPH+ and ABTS˙+ assays. In anti-diabetic assays, SL-AgNPs demonstrated 70.1% α-amylase inhibition and 68.4% α-glucosidase inhibition, outperforming SS-AgNPs, which showed 59.3% and 57.6% inhibition, respectively. In the anti-cancer assay, SL-AgNPs exhibited a cytotoxicity of 62.5% against MCF-7 cells, whereas SS-AgNPs showed 50.8% inhibition.

Conclusion

These findings highlight the potential of green-synthesized SL-AgNPs and SS-AgNPs as effective antioxidant, anti-diabetic and anti-cancer agents.