Studies on biocompatibility and evaluation of green synthesized nanoparticles from Himalayan region for antimicrobial and antidiabetic activities

Abstract

newline x newlineABSTRACT newlineDiabetes mellitus is a systematic metabolic endocrine disorder which is characterized by hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, hyper-aminoacidemia and hypoinsulinaemia in the blood due to inadequate amounts of insulin in the body. About 1.5 % of the total world population is suffered from this disease. The prevalence of this disease is increasing day by day and is now becoming the worldwide public health problem. The conventional methods for the treatment of diabetes include the use of synthetic drugs viz. sulphonylurease, biguanides, meglitimide, glucosidase inhibitors etc. but long term intake of these medicines may cause several side effects like desensitization of and#946;-cells of the pancreas and also inhibit the insulin biosynthesis. So now the consideration is given to herbs and plants as antidiabetic remedies with an aim to discover new natural products which will be safe, inexpensive and effective in nature. In the era of modern science and technology, nanotechnology is becoming an ablaze field for researchers. The combination of nanotechnology with herbal medicines brought out significant advances in diagnosis and treatment of diseases. Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) have attracted vast interest because of their unique potential application in disease diagnosis and treatment. In this research work, ZnONPs were synthesized using Murraya koiengii and Ficus palmata plant leaf extracts. The synthesized ZnONPs were characterized using different techniques and evaluated for their antioxidant, antimicrobial and antidiabetic activities. newlineThe green synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by techniques like UV-vis spectroscopy, DLS, FTIR, SEM, EDS and CV. All the characterization techniques confirmed that synthesized ZnONPs with their desired shape and size. The UV-vis spectra for ZnONPs were observed at 340-380 nm. The particle size distribution profile of ZnONPs was confirmed by DLS and the size of synthesized nanoparticles was observed to be 15 and 35 nm. FTIR spectroscopy revealed the presence of different biomolecules. EDS spectra confirmed the elemental composition of green synthesized ZnONPs and lastly CV analysis showed a shift in the oxidation peak of current which also confirmed the synthesis of ZnONPs. newlineThe qualitative and quantitative phytochemical screening of green synthesized ZnONPs was done and it was found that the nanoparticles revealed the presence of alkaloids, proteins, amino acids, terpenoids, flavonoids, tannins, saponins. These phytochemicals were responsible for the reduction of metal ions and for the capping newlinexi newlineof newly formed nanoparticles but varied in their quantities. The antioxidant studies showed the higher percentage of inhibition of free radicals in nanoparticles as compared to plant leaf extracts. After the preliminary screening, the ZnONPs were screened for biocompatibility and antimicrobial studies. The biocompatibility studies were done on human FR2 cell line and it was observed that percentage of cell viability comes to be highest in the case of Murraya koiengii synthesized nanoparticles (8.72 ± 0.49 %). The ZnONPs showed good antimicrobial activities against both Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria. newlineBy considering the good antioxidant, biocompatibility and antimicrobial properties of ZnONPs, lastly, these nanoparticles were screened for antidiabetic activities. The results showed that nanoparticles exhibit better antidiabetic activity as compared to the plant extracts. The percentage of inhibition for amylase and glucosidase was higher in Murraya koiengii ZnONPs. It was found to be 75.32 ± 0.02 and#956;g/ml in amylase and 74.14 ± 0.16 and#956;g/ml in the glucosidase inhibition assay. The ZnONPs synthesized using Murraya koiengii showed significant (p lt 0.05) decrease in blood glucose level as compared to diabetic control group from 21st to till 42nd day. Furthermore, in extension to these experiments, the synthesized nanoparticles showed an antidyslipidaemic effect on STZ induced diabetic rats. It improves the lipid profile by decreasing the levels of triglycerides, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and increasing the HDL cholesterol level. From this research work, it has been concluded that ZnONPs synthesized using Murraya koiengii and Ficus palmata have exhibited good antimicrobial and antidiabetic activities as compared to the plant extracts. newlineKeywords: Diabetes mellitus, Nanoparticles, Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs), Biocompatibility, Antimicrobial activity