Reduced graphene oxide nanoplatelets derived from the Ziziphus mauritiana: Bio-mediated synthesis and antimicrobial and anticancer activities

Abstract

A unique technique was used to synthesize reduced graphene oxide (rGO) from graphene oxide (GOX) using Ziziphus mauritiana plant leaf extract as both a reducing agent as well stabilizing agent. We examined the green, efficient, and cost-effective method for producing reduced graphene oxide nanoparticles by utilizing selected plant. This study utilized a range of analytical techniques, such as Ultraviolet Visible Spectroscopy (UV–Vis), Fourier transform infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-Ray diffraction analysis (XRD), Zeta potential measurement, and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) in order to confirm the successful green production of reduced graphene oxide nanoplatlets. Our work reveals that reduced graphene oxide generally exhibits a layered structure characterized by smooth surfaces, transparency, and wavy patterns. The antibacterial activity was determined by analyzing the values of minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) with agar diffusion method. The synthesized graphene material showed more effectiveness against E.coli and S.aureus. The increased concentration correspondingly led to an increase in bacterial growth inhibition. The highest zone of inhibition (ZOI) observed was 9 mm for E.coli and 10 mm for S. aureus at a concentration of 100 μg/ml. The efficacy of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) in combating cancer was evaluated using MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. The IC50 of the synthesized rGO against the chosen cancer cells was found to be 12.3 ± 0.8 μg/ml, which is comparable to the standard drug. The results suggest that rGO has significant potential as an anticancer agent for selected human bacterial pathogen as well human cancer cells.