In Vitro Antimicrobial, Antioxidant and In Vivo Wound Healing Activity on Wistar Albino Rats by Plant-Mediated Synthesis of CuO Nanoparticles from the Fruit Extract of Diplocyclos palmatus (L) C. Jeffrey

This study investigates the in vitro antimicrobial, antioxidant, and in vivo wound healing activities of copper oxide (CuO) nanoparticles synthesized from the Diplocyclos palmatus (L) C. Jeffrey fruit extract. A nanoemulsion containing CuO nanoparticles was prepared and tested for its efficacy in healing deep skin wounds in a rat model. Wound healing is a significant area of public health concern. Plant-mediated synthesis of metal oxide nanoparticles has minimized side effects while exhibiting superior biological activities compared to traditional synthetic methods. In this research, the fruit extracts of D. palmatus were employed to synthesize CuO nanoparticles, which were then evaluated for their in vitro antibacterial activities against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, antifungal properties, and antioxidant activity. The prepared nanoemulsion ointment was tested in a rat wound healing model. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized using UV-vis spectroscopy, FT-IR, XRD, SEM & EDX, DLS, and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assays. The CuO nanoparticles demonstrated significant antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus (11 mm zone of inhibition) and effective antifungal activity against Candida albicans. The antioxidant activity, measured using the DPPH radical scavenging assay, reached 80.39% at a 100 μg/mL concentration. MIC values for Streptococcus aureus and Escherichia coli were determined to be 20 μg/mL and 40 μg/mLmL, respectively. CuO-NP-based ointments facilitated complete wound healing (100%) in 28 days, compared to the control group (Group I). Histopathological analysis further confirmed the wound healing efficacy of the CuO nanoparticles.