Green Synthesis of Copper Oxide Nanoparticles from Callus Culture of Echinacea purpurea and their Biomedical Potential

Abstract

Rapid strides in various industries have propelled the swift evolution of nanotechnology. The last few years have witnessed remarkable progress in research involving nanomaterials, particularly within the realm of nanotechnology. Among the spectrum of nanoparticles, copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO-NPs) have emerged as a focal point, given their diverse properties and wide ranging applications across multiple domains. Various methodologies exist for synthesizing copper oxide nanoparticles, with chemical, physical, and biological approaches being prominent. However, the physicochemical techniques prove to be not only costly but also environmentally hazardous due to the high energy consumption and release of toxic chemicals. Conversely, the biological method presents itself as an eco-friendly, cost-efficient, dependable, user-friendly, and uncomplicated route for producing copper oxide nanoparticles. This study reports the green mediated synthesis of CuO-NPs using callus extract of Echinacea purpurea and their biomedical applications. The synthesized copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO-NPs) undergo characterization using a range of techniques including UV/VIS spectrophotometry, Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and dynamic light scattering (DLS). UV/VIS spectrophotometry showed the highest peak at 284nm which confirmed the synthesis of CuO-NPs. The cubic character of the nanoparticles, with an average size of 32.58nm, was confirmed by the XRD pattern. Utilizing FTIR analysis, the functional groups accountable for both capping and size reduction of the copper oxide nanoparticles were investigated. Notably, distinctive peaks corresponding to CuO nanoparticles were identified at approximately 593 cm-1. Through the application of SEM, it was possible to determine that green-mediated CuO-NPs were 40–80 nm-sized, spherical in nature, evenly dispersed, and free of aggregation. EDS analysis indicated the presence of oxygen and copper by 36.16% and 35.42% corresponding to the peaks recorded at 1 keV and 8 keV. The DLS investigation revealed that the zeta value of biosynthesized CuO-NPs from Echinacea purpurea is 6.78 mV, demonstrating the relative stability of synthesized nanomaterials. The synthesized CuO-NPs were also analyzed for their phytochemical profile and antioxidant potential. The maximum values of TPC (24.96 µg/mg) and TFC (69.85 µg/mg) were recorded against the highest concentration of CuO-NPs (80 µg/mL). The optimal values for DPPH (95.45%) and TAC (18.48 µg AAE/mg DW) were also reported against the highest concentration of CuO-NPs. The results of all these activities were observed to be dosage dependent i.e., the values of the TPC, TFC, TAC 1 Abstract and DPPH increased with increasing concentration of CuO-NPs. Our research showcases the uncomplicated and environmentally friendly synthesis of CuO nanoparticles (CuO-NPs), highlighting their noteworthy potential in the realm of biomedicine. Subsequent investigations hold the promise of unveiling the therapeutic capacities of CuO-NPs, necessitating in-depth explorations involving both in vivo and in silico analyses