GREEN NANOTECHNOLOGY APPROACH USING FAGONIA SPECIES FOR ANTIOXIDANT AND ANTICANCER APPLICATIONS

Abstract

Natural products continue to attract considerable attention for the development of novel therapeutic agents against oxidative stress-related disorders and cancer. Among medicinal plants, Fagonia indica and Fagonia arabica have been extensively used in traditional medicine and are recognized for their diverse pharmacological properties, mainly due to the presence of bioactive phytoconstituents. Recent advances in green nanotechnology have enabled the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using plant extracts as reducing and stabilizing agents, providing an eco-friendly and cost-effective approach for enhancing biological activity. In the present study, a comparative investigation was undertaken to evaluate the antioxidant and anticancer potential of Fagonia indica, Fagonia arabica, and their green synthesized silver nanoparticles. Plant extracts were employed for the biosynthesis of AgNPs through an environmentally benign method. Antioxidant activity was assessed using DPPH free radical scavenging and phosphomolybdate assays, while anticancer activity was determined by the Sulforhodamine-B (SRB) assay against human breast cancer (MCF-7), cervical cancer (HeLa), and lung cancer (A-549) cell lines. A comparative analysis was performed to examine the biological efficacy of the crude extracts and their corresponding nanoparticles. This study highlights the potential of integrating medicinal plants with nanotechnology to develop natural nanoformulations with enhanced therapeutic applications and provides a scientific basis for further exploration of Fagonia-mediated silver nanoparticles as prospective agents for the management of cancer and oxidative stress-associated diseases.Natural products continue to attract considerable attention for the development of novel therapeutic agents against oxidative stress-related disorders and cancer. Among medicinal plants, Fagonia indica and Fagonia arabica have been extensively used in traditional medicine and are recognized for their diverse pharmacological properties, mainly due to the presence of bioactive phytoconstituents. Recent advances in green nanotechnology have enabled the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using plant extracts as reducing and stabilizing agents, providing an eco-friendly and cost-effective approach for enhancing biological activity. In the present study, a comparative investigation was undertaken to evaluate the antioxidant and anticancer potential of Fagonia indica, Fagonia arabica, and their green synthesized silver nanoparticles. Plant extracts were employed for the biosynthesis of AgNPs through an environmentally benign method. Antioxidant activity was assessed using DPPH free radical scavenging and phosphomolybdate assays, while anticancer activity was determined by the Sulforhodamine-B (SRB) assay against human breast cancer (MCF-7), cervical cancer (HeLa), and lung cancer (A-549) cell lines. A comparative analysis was performed to examine the biological efficacy of the crude extracts and their corresponding nanoparticles. This study highlights the potential of integrating medicinal plants with nanotechnology to develop natural nanoformulations with enhanced therapeutic applications and provides a scientific basis for further exploration of Fagonia-mediated silver nanoparticles as prospective agents for the management of cancer and oxidative stress-associated diseases.