Biogenic Synthesis of Copper Oxide Nanoparticles using Anethum graveolens; Antibacterial, Anticancer and Therapeutic Potential in vitro Analysis

In this current study, copper-oxide nanoparticles (Cu-ONPs) were produced via an eco-friendly approach with A. graveolens (dill) seed aqueous extract as a stabilizing and reducing precursor. This process was revealed by a visible colour transformation from light green to dark green and also confirmed by UV-Vis spectroscopy. Characterization was conducted using techniques that included FTIR, XRD, SEM with EDX, and TEM. UV-Visible spectroscopy revealed broad peaks at 342–380 nm. FTIR spectral analysis revealed the involvement of various functional groups in stabilization. XRD also confirmed the crystallinity of AG-CuONPs, and SEM images showed a predominantly spherical shape with a relatively smooth surface morphology, with agglomeration. TEM images revealed uniformly distributed particles with an average diameter of 45 nm. The AG-CuONPs showed strong anti-bacterial activity against P. aeruginosa, E. Coli, and S. aureus, with increasing efficacy at higher concentrations. Furthermore, it showed promising antioxidant properties (DPPH assay), anti-inflammatory potential (BSA and EA denaturation tests), and potential anticancer properties against A549 lung cancer cells, with low cytotoxicity toward HEK293 normal cells. These results highlight the potential of dill seed-mediated CuONPs' eco-friendly approach towards the development of novel antimicrobial and anticancer agents. Additional research is required to discover its anticancer activities under an in vivo system.