Preparation and evaluation of the biosynthetic procedure of iron oxide and magnesium oxide nanoparticles using <i>Hylocereus undatus</i> fruit peel extract and their anticancer properties

Nanoparticles offer enhanced interactions with other materials owing to their enlarged surface area. This property makes them stronger, more stable and ideal for biomedical applications. Among the various synthetic methods for nanoparticles, biosynthetic method stands out due to its cost-effectiveness and environmentally friendly nature. In this context, we developed novel biosynthetic procedures for iron oxide and magnesium oxide nanoparticles using the extract of <i>Hylocereus undatus</i> (dragon fruit) peel, which acted as a reducing agent and capping agent. The biosynthesized nanoparticles were characterized using different techniques, such as ultraviolet-visible (UV-VIS) spectrophotometry, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffractometry (XRD). To evaluate their anticancer properties, the nanoparticles were tested on HeLa cells (derived from human cervical carcinoma) and BHK-21 cells (obtained from baby hamster kidney fibroblasts) and compared with the negative control group (dimethyl sulfoxide) and standard group (<i>Hylocereus undatus</i> fruit peel extract). Results showed that only less than 5% HeLa cells survived in both cases, and less than 5% and 60% BHK-21 cells survived on administering magnesium oxide and iron oxide nanoparticles, respectively, which were quite better than the results obtained for the standard and negative control groups. This study reports a safe and rapid method for the biosynthesis of iron oxide and magnesium oxide nanoparticles using <i>Hylocereus undatus</i> fruit peel extract and demonstrates their potential as anticancer agents. These findings suggest that iron oxide and magnesium oxide nanoparticles warrant further investigation for the development of more effective and safe anticancer drug formulations.