Sustainable synthesized iron oxide nanoparticles-based red yeast rice for antimicrobial and antioxidant applications

Abstract

The current study investigates the use of green-synthesized iron oxide (Fe ₃ O ₄ ) nanoparticles (NPs) derived from red yeast rice (RYR) with potential biomedical applications. The characterization of Fe ₃ O ₄ NPs was performed using various techniques, including UV–vis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometry (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), to assess their antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus, and Gram-negative bacteria, Escherichia coli . The RYR-derived Fe ₃ O ₄ NPs were shown to display potent antibacterial properties against both bacteria, including multidrug-resistant strains, indicating that they are effective against a broad range of bacteria. There are multiple methods by which these NPs work, including causing disruption of bacterial cell membranes, creating pores in the cell membrane, and interfering with nucleic acids, proteins, and lipids and, in turn, preventing essential cellular processes from occurring. The results indicated that the RYR-derived Fe ₃ O ₄ NPs exhibited strong antibacterial activity against both S. aureus and E. coli . The NPs were also tested for their antioxidant activity, and the results showed that the RYR-derived Fe ₃ O ₄ NPs exhibited strong antioxidant activity. The successful green synthesis of flake-shaped Fe ₃ O ₄ nanoparticles using the biogenic precursor red yeast rice is demonstrated in this study. These nanoparticles offer antimicrobial effects with strong antioxidant activity, demonstrating their potential as multifunctional agents for biomedical applications. Therefore, these findings suggest that Fe ₃ O ₄ NPs synthesized from RYR could be a viable nanoplatform for developing new therapeutic strategies that target antibiotic-resistant bacteria and/or oxidative stress-related disorders.