Phytofabricated Ag and Zno Nanoparticles From Nonea Lutea: Potent Α-Glucosidase Inhibitory Activity and Multifunctional Biomedical and Environmental Applications Publisher



Dehghanpour Kalan R ; Khayer Damirchi E ; Barari M A ; Mojtabavi S ; Goli H R ; Biparva P ; Ebrahimzadeh M A
Source: BioNanoScience Published:2026

Abstract

The green synthesis of metal and metal oxide nanoparticles using plant extracts has gained significant attention due to its eco-friendly, cost-effective, and sustainable nature. In this study, zinc oxide nanoparticles (N@ZnONPs) and silver nanoparticles (N@AgNPs) were biosynthesized using Nonea lutea extract and evaluated for their antibacterial, antioxidant, photocatalytic, antiparasitic, antidiabetic, and sunscreen activities. Nanoparticles were characterized by ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and zeta potential analysis. UV-Vis spectra showed characteristic absorption peaks at ~370 nm for N@ZnONPs and 400–500 nm for N@AgNPs. TEM analysis revealed average particle sizes of 3.67 ± 2.70 nm for N@ZnONPs and 13.52 ± 12.7 nm for N@AgNPs, while zeta potential values confirmed high colloidal stability. Both nanoparticles exhibited significant antibacterial activity against eight bacterial strains, with N@AgNPs showing higher efficacy. In the α-glucosidase inhibition assay, N@AgNPs demonstrated remarkable antidiabetic activity (IC50 = 1.68 ± 0.1 ng/mL), significantly stronger than acarbose (IC50 = 500.0 ± 8.3 µg/mL), whereas N@ZnONPs showed moderate inhibition (IC50 = 114.8 ± 3.9 µg/mL). Enzyme kinetic analysis indicated an uncompetitive inhibition mode for both nanoparticles, with N@AgNPs exhibiting a lower Ki value (0.196 ng/mL) than N@ZnONPs (0.163 mg/mL). Furthermore, N@ZnONPs displayed superior sunscreen performance compared with N@AgNPs. These findings suggest that N@AgNPs and N@ZnONPs possess promising multifunctional biomedical potential. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2026.