A Sustainable Approach for Antioxidant and Anti- Diabetic Activity of Green Synthesis Iron Oxide Nanoparticles Using Pomegranate Peels Extract
Hussein Abdulkadhim Hasan, Bashar Mohammed Thejer, Ilham Naeem Al-Fatlawi, Rana A.K. Al-Refaia, Yazan Al-HayekIntroduction/Objective:
Pomegranate peel, an agricultural waste material, is a rich source of various bioactive compounds, including flavonoids, phenols, and anthocyanins, possessing significant antioxidant properties. The study was designed to utilize pomegranate peel extract for the eco-friendly synthesis of iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄ NPs) and to investigate their antioxidant, anti-diabetic activity, and cytotoxic potential.
Methods:
Fe₃O₄ NPs were ecofriendly synthesized and fully characterized using UV-Vis spectroscopy, FTIR, EDX, XRD, and SEM. Additionally, their antioxidant activity was evaluated using the DPPH Radical Scavenging Assay. Antidiabetic activity was assessed using the α- amylase inhibition assay, α-glucosidase inhibitory assay, and glucose uptake assay. Cytotoxicity was assessed via the hemolysis potential assay. The concentrations of prepared Fe₃O₄ NPs and positive controls used in the experiments were chosen depending on preliminary pilot experiments to find dose-dependent curves and precisely calculate IC50 values at non-toxic levels according to literature guidelines.
Results:
Fe₃O₄ NPs were found to exhibit excellent antioxidant activity, with an IC50 of 8.50 μg/mL, compared with 18.91 μg/mL for Vitamin C. Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles displayed significantly higher efficiency than metformin against alpha-amylase; the IC₅₀ value of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles was 89.30 μg/mL compared to 150.11 μg/mL for metformin. The IC50 value of Fe3O4 NPs was 133.31 μg/mL against α-glucosidase. Moreover, Fe3O4 nanoparticles significantly increased glucose uptake in yeast cells, with an IC50 of 113.32 μg/mL, compared to metformin, which had an IC50 of 223.24 μg/mL. The hemolysis assay confirmed no significant cytotoxic effect.
Discussion:
NPs displayed a spherical shape with an average size of 61.4 nm. Clustering of particles was observed, which is likely due to the presence of phenolic compounds from Pomegranate Peel Extract (PPE) that act as reducing and capping agents. The presence of these compounds in the peel extract might be responsible for their antioxidant properties due to their ability to behave as capping agents and to improve the reactivity of Fe3O4 NPs to DPPH free radicals. Moreover, these nanoparticles are also effective in regulating α-amylase and α-glucosidase activity; the strong inhibition of these two enzymes could be due to interactions between Fe₃O₄ NPs and the active sites of each enzyme, whereas improved glucose uptake may be related to interactions with glucose transporters or increased membrane permeability.
Conclusion:
The green-synthesized iron oxide nanoparticles using pomegranate peel extract exhibit potent antioxidant and anti-diabetic activity with minimal cytotoxicity, highlighting their potential as eco-friendly therapeutic agents.