Novel and Facile Green Synthesis of Copper Nanoparticles Using Aqueous Extract of Phragmites australis Leaves and Evaluation of their Antioxidant, Antihemolytic, Anti-inflammatory, and Anticancer Effects

Introduction: There is a growing interest in producing green nanoparticles with a variety of biological activities. For that, the leaf extract of Phragmites australis was used to mediate copper nanoparticle (CuNPs) synthesis, and its antioxidant, antihemolytic, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer effects were evaluated.
Materials and Methods: The characterization of CuNPs was done using different techniques: UV-Vis spectroscopy, FT-IR spectroscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM), and X-ray diffraction. The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities were assessed using two methods for each. Anti-cancer potential was evaluated by means of the MTT assay.
Results: Phytochemical screening demonstrated the richness of the plant in different biomolecules. UV-Vis spectra showed a peak at 312 nm. The crystalline structure of the phyto-synthesized CuNPs was confirmed by XRD, and the grain size was estimated to be 18.06 nm. Furthermore, the obtained nanoparticles exhibited remarkable antioxidant activity, with IC50 values of 4.62 µg/ml and 78.99 µg/ml for DPPH and FRAP tests, respectively. The IC50 values for the anti-inflammatory activity in both tests were conspicuous and revealed a substantial capability of green CuNPs. The cytotoxicity of Phragmites australis-mediated synthesized CuNPs against MCF-7 cell lines disclosed a dose-dependent efficacy.
Conclusions: In conclusion, our research suggests that Phragmites australis leaves' aqueous extract can be used as reducing and stabilizing agents for the green synthesis of CuNPs, which provided antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer effects.