Reconciling the Green Route for Amalgamation of Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles using Syzygium Cumini and Identifying their Potential Biomedical Application

Abstract

Introduction: Nanotechnology has gained a lot of attention in biomedical and environmental applications due to its potential to enhance antimicrobial and antioxidative properties. Cerium Oxide nanoparticles have emerged as a promising candidate for their redox and ROS scavenging properties. The green synthesis of nanoparticles using plant extracts is an environmentally friendly and sustainable approach that reduces the use of toxic chemicals. Syzygium cumini, commonly known as Jamun, is rich in bioactive compounds with potent antioxidative and antimicrobial properties. Our study focuses on the synthesis of composite of Syzygium cumini seed extract and Cerium oxide nanoparticles (SC-CNP) and evaluates their properties.

Objectives: The primary objective is to synthesize and characterize the SC-CNP conjugate and then evaluate the free radical scavenging activity of the synthesized SC-CNP conjugate through SOD and H₂O₂ Scavanging assays and then assess the antimicrobial properties.

Methods: The SC-CNP conjugate synthesized by Soxhlet extraction of S. cumini seed extract conjugate with cerium oxide nanoparticles through continuous stirring. The physiochemical characterization of synthesized nanomaterial was done by UV-spectroscopy and Diffraction Light Scattering (DLS). The antioxidant activity was determined by Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) and Hydrogen Peroxide (H₂O₂) scavenging assays. The antimicrobial efficacy of SC-CNP conjugates was evaluated using the broth dilution method against Escherichia coli (E. coli), with optical density (OD) measurements recorded at 600 nm.

Results. UV-VIS spectroscopy revealed the effective synthesis of SC-CNP conjugates, with an absorbance peak at 320 nm, suggesting the presence of Ce⁴⁺. The DLS research demonstrated an increase in hydrodynamic radius from 110 nm to 165 nm, indicating surface conjugation.SC-CNP conjugates outperformed bare CNPs (34.2%) and crude extract (16.57%) in terms of ROS scavenging activity, achieving 51.4% H₂O₂ degradation. Similarly, SC-CNP conjugates exhibited the greatest SOD mimetic activity (38.88%) when compared to bare CNPs (22.22%) and pure extract (7.4%). The antimicrobial assay showed that SC-CNP conjugates have higher antibacterial activity.

Conclusions: Through this study, we were successfully synthesized SC-CNP conjugates by using an eco-friendly green synthesis approach the synergistic enhancement of antimicrobial and antioxidative properties ensure the potential application of conjugates in biomedical and antimicrobial properties.