Bio fabrication of copper oxide nanoparticles using traditional plants, along with their investigation into biological and environmental applications

• Published in: Colloids and surfaces. A, Physicochemical and engineering aspects Physicochemical and engineering aspects, 2025-03, Vol.709, p.136147, Article 136147
• Main Authors: Elango, Pushpalakshmi, Ramar, Sivagurusundar, Gurusamy, Annadurai, Muthukutty, Balamurugan, Jeganathan, Periasamy, Sivakumar, Mani
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Green synthesis, NL-CuO NPs, biological activity. Photocatalyst; Pisonia alba (L); Rhinacanthus nasutus (N)
• ISSN: 0927-7757
• DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2025.136147

In recent research, the non-toxic and eco-friendly biosynthesis of copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) using plant extracts from Rhinacanthus nasutus (RN) and Pisonia alba (PA) has emerged as a promising approach for biomedical applications and wastewater treatment. This novel green synthesis method utilizes phytocompounds from plant extracts, which act as natural reducing, capping, and stabilizing agents in the formation of CuO NPs. RN produces N-CuO, PA produces L-CuO, and a combination of the two results in NL-CuO NPs, confirmed by a distinctive peak at 290 nm in ultraviolet-visible (UV) spectroscopy. Furthermore, the synthesis of CuO NPs using single and mixed plant extracts was analyzed through various spectroscopic techniques to assess their formation and properties. The synthesized CuO NPs exhibited strong antibacterial activity against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, confirmed through agar well diffusion, due to the interaction of the NPs with bacterial membranes. NL-CuO NPs also demonstrated excellent anti-diabetic and anti-inflammatory properties. Cytotoxicity studies revealed that NL-CuO NPs were minimally toxic at low concentrations. The biosynthesized NL-CuO NPs showed potential for degrading malachite green dye, indicating their applicability in environmental remediation. [Display omitted] •Rhinacanthus nasutus and Pisonia alba are used in an eco-friendly and cost-effective biosynthesis of CuO NPs.•Bio-mediated CuO NPs showed significant in vitro results with low toxicity.•Non-toxic CuO NPs demonstrated effective photocatalytic degradation of malachite green.