Green and chemical synthesis of PEGylated ginger gold nanoparticles for neuro-nanomedicine applications

Background Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are promising therapeutic-delivery agents for neuro-nanomedicine, but their cytotoxicity from conventional chemical synthesis remains a challenge. Green synthesis using ginger extract offers a safer, neuroprotective alternative. Methods PEGylated AuNPs were prepared through chemical (CS) and green (GS) methods with and without ginger extract. They were analyzed using SEM, TEM, DLS, and zeta potential. Encapsulation efficiency (EE), loading capacity (LC), drug release profile (pH 7.4, 37 °C), and cytotoxicity in PC12 cells (MTT assay, IC₅₀) were measured. Results Spherical nanoparticles (14–19 nm) were confirmed. GS-PEG-Ginger-AuNPs exhibited superior EE (80.7% vs. 61.8%) and LC (90.7% vs. 77.9%) compared to the CS counterpart. The GS formulation also showed a significantly higher cumulative drug release (~ 85% vs. ~60% at 96 h), with release kinetics indicative of anomalous transport (n = 0.52) versus Fickian diffusion (CS, n = 0.45). Critically, GS formulations were highly biocompatible (IC₅₀ > 100 µg/mL; >70–80% cell viability at 100 µg/mL), whereas CS formulations were toxic (IC₅₀ ≈ 68.7–104.4 µg/mL). Conclusion The green-synthesized PEG-Ginger-AuNPs demonstrate enhanced drug loading, sustained release, and exceptional neuronal biocompatibility, underscoring their strong potential as a translatable and safe nanoplatform for clinical neuro-nanomedicine.