Characterisation and biological activities of synthesised copper oxide nanoparticles from the Pimpinella anisum L. aqueous extract

Abstract Nanoparticles can be synthesised by several methods. Due to the long duration, high cost, and toxic by-products of chemical and physical methods, the biological method has become more preferred. Among various sources such as bacteria, fungi, or yeast, the use of plants in biological synthesis has proven to be the most ideal. Many metals can be used in the biological method, including copper oxide (CuO). In this study, copper oxide nanoparticles (CuONPs) were synthesised using Pimpinella anisum L. aqueous extract. For characterisation of the CuONPs, UV–Visible Spectroscopy (UV–Vis), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersion Spectroscopy (EDS), and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) analyses were performed. The biological activity of the P. anisum extract and CuONPs was determined using DNA cleavage (agarose gel electrophoresis), antioxidant (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging activity and hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity), mutagenic (Ames/ Salmonella test), and catalytic (methylene blue degradation) activities. In DNA cleavage activity test, CuONPs completely denatured DNA at high concentrations (100 and 200 μg mL −1 ) due to their oxidative activity. The results showed that both the extract and CuONPs have antioxidant properties in DPPH and hydrogen peroxide scavenging activities. According to the mutagenicity, CuONPs did not have a mutagenic effect. In catalytic activity, CuONPs degraded methylene blue within 240 min by 99.45%.