In vitro antioxidant and anticancer activities of cupric oxide nanoparticles synthesized using spinach leaves extract

Abstract

Cupric oxide nanoparticles (CuONPs) with improved properties for biomedical applications were greenly synthesized using spinach leaves extract. For the sake of comparison, two other sets of CuO nanoparticles were prepared. One was produced by a conventional chemical method, (CuONPs)chem, and the other was made greenly using curcumin, (CuONPs)cur, which is a well-known medicinal plant. Using X-ray diffraction, ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy characterization, both the structure and the nano-size of the three prepared formulations were confirmed. Their effectiveness as antioxidant and anticancer agents was then assessed using DPPH and MTT assays, respectively. The antioxidant activities of (CuONPs)sp, (CuONPs)cur and (CuONPs)chem (at a concentration of 100 μg/ml) were found to be ∼92, 86 and 84%, respectively. All the nano-formulations showed a significant cytotoxic effect against the breast cancer cell MCF-7 in a concentration dependent manner. However, the IC50 value of 21 ± 6 μg/ml for (CuONPs)sp revealed its promising antiproliferative effect over (CuONPs)cur, and (CuONPs)chem, which showed IC50 values of 26 ± 3 and 60 ± 1, respectively. Thus, for the first time, spinach leaves extract has successfully participated in the synthesis of CuONPs which are a cost effective and ecofriendly candidate possessing pronounced antioxidant and anticancer activities.