Green synthesis of CuO and Se nanoparticles and CuO/Se agglomerates of NPs by Anabasis setifera biomass extract: Antimicrobial, antioxidant, antibiofilm, and anticancer activities

Anabasis setifera shoot extract was utilized in this study as a stabilizing agent to synthesize Se and CuO nanoparticles (NPs), as well as CuO/Se agglomerates of NPs in a biologically safe manner, and these nanoparticles were then employed as antibacterial, antioxidant, antibiofilm, and anticancer agents. Transmission electron microscopy confirmed the irregular, spherical, and agglomerate shapes of Cu, Se, and CuO/Se, respectively. The EDS mapping of the CuO/Se agglomerates of NPs showed that all elements were uniformly distributed. Among all examined treatments, the CuO/Se agglomerates of NPs showed the strongest antimicrobial action, with inhibition zones ranging from 19 mm for Klebsiella pneumoniae to 26.1 mm for Bacillus cereus, so further testing was done only with CuO/Se agglomerates of NPs. The findings demonstrated that the antioxidant activity of CuO/Se agglomerates of NPs was 150 μg/mL for the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method, compared to 8.9 μg/mL for ascorbic acid, and 135 μg/mL for the 2,2′-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzo-thiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) method, compared to 7.61 μg/mL for ascorbic acid. Se/Cu repressed the proliferation of Mcf7 and HepG2 cells, but CuO/Se showed more activity against HepG2 cells with an IC50 of 322.5 µg/mL. CuO/Se agglomerates of NPs based on Anabasis setifera extract serve as a stabilizing agent, exhibiting a biological activity profile that makes them appealing choices for various biomedical applications.