Sustainable synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles using Piper betle petiole leaf extract: Antibacterial, antioxidant, and cytotoxic potential

The present study used Piper betle petiole leaf extract as an efficient reducing agent to produce zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs). The change in the color of reaction mixture from brown to white indicates the formation of ZnO NPs, which is also noticed in UV–Visible spectral analysis (peak at 320 nm). Investigations using X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed that the particles were crystalline. Additionally, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray diffraction (EDAX), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) techniques were used to understand the structural, and elemental aspects of the as-prepared ZnO NPs. The antibacterial activity of ZnO NPs was assessed using the disc diffusion approach method against clinical strains of Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas fluorescence, Micrococcus luteus, and Bacillus subtilis. The zone of inhibition and minimum inhibitory indices (MIC) were used in this process. The as-prepared ZnO NPs showed strong antibacterial effects. In addition, the anticancer efficacy of the material was tested against MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines, the results of which revealed that the tested ZnO NPs was potent in inhibiting the growth of the cancer cells. The mechanistic evaluation of such an activity carried out using in silico methods suggested that the anti-breast cancer activity of L-ZnONPs was mediated by human HER2 kinase domain. This suggests that preparation of ZnO NPs from plant sources can be an excellent method of producing biomedical goods that are both environmentally friendly and versatile.