Green synthesis of zanthoxylum rhetsa (roxb.) DC. mediated iron oxide nanoparticles with physicochemical characterisations and in vitro biomedical applications

A sustainable and eco-friendly approach was developed for the green synthesis of iron oxide nanoparticles (ZR-FeONPs) using the aqueous leaf extract of Zanthoxylum rhetsa (Roxb.) DC., where phytochemicals served as reducing and stabilizing agents. UV-Visible spectroscopy revealed a characteristic absorption peak at 275 nm, while FTIR analysis showed distinct bands (593.57–441.40 cm-1) corresponding to Fe-O vibrations confirming nanoparticle formation. XRD analysis established the crystalline hematite-phase Fe2O3 with an average crystallite size of 17.87 nm. Morphological studies using FEG-SEM and TEM demonstrated quasi-spherical, polydisperse particles with an average size of ~38–40 nm. EDX analysis confirmed elemental composition dominated by Fe (67.7 wt %) and O (29.5 wt %). The nanoparticles exhibited moderate colloidal stability (-24 mV) and superparamagnetic behavior with a saturation magnetization of 47 emu/g. Biological evaluations revealed significant antibacterial (18-22 mm) and moderate antifungal (13–15 mm) activities. The nanoparticles also showed dose-dependent antioxidant (51.81%, IC = 58.19 µg/mL), anti-inflammatory (52.32%, IC50= 95.62 µg/mL) and antidiabetic (56.32%, IC50= 82.34 µg/mL) properties. Additionally, moderate anti-tuberculosis activity (50.23% at 1000 µg/mL) and notable anticancer effects (44.32% inhibition against MCF-7 cells) were observed. Cytotoxicity studies indicated high biocompatibility, with >84% viability in L929 cells. Overall, this study highlights Z. rhetsa (Roxb.) DC. as an effective and underexplored bioresource for synthesizing multifunctional, biocompatible magnetic nanoparticles with promising applications in nanomedicine and therapeutic development. Graphical abstract