Biogenic Cu/Ni nanotherapeutics from <i>Descurainia sophia</i> (L.) Webb ex Prantl seeds for the treatment of lung cancer

<i>Descurainia sophia</i> (L.) Webb ex Pran known as Flixweed is recognized as an ethnomedicinal plant in Chinese traditional medicine, offering numerous therapeutic benefits. Antioxidant chemicals found in this medicinal plant protect cellular integrity from various sources of damage and may help prevent cancer. In this study, we investigated copper/nickel nanoparticles (Cu/NiBMNPs@Flixweed) that were green-mediated following principles of green chemistry, utilizing the aqueous extract of <i>D. sophia</i> seeds for the treatment of lung carcinoma. The effectiveness of these Cu/Ni nanoparticles' effectiveness was tested against three common human lung cancer cell lines. Methods such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray were used to analyze the Cu/Ni nanoparticles produced through environmentally friendly methods. The XRD pattern revealed that the crystalline structure of the generated NPs is seen in the XRD pattern. According to the FE-SEM results, the nanoparticles had an average size of 68.52 nm and a semi-spherical shape. The IC₅₀ values of Cu/NiBMNPs@Flixweed against HLC-1, LC-2/ad, and PC-14 cells were found to be 170, 98, and 57 μg/mL, respectively. The IC₅₀ values of Cu/NiBMNPs@Flixweed against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl free radicals was 30 μg/mL. Recent research indicates that Cu/NiBMNPs@Flixweed may be a promising option to assist in the treatment various types of lung cancer.