Development and characterization of biogenic copper oxide nanoparticles, with an exploration of their antibacterial and antioxidant potential.

Unlabelled: This study outlines the synthesis of biogenic copper oxide nanoparticles (CuONPs) using an extract derived from (Cf) leaves through a green synthesis approach. Characterization of the synthesized CfBio-CuONPs was carried out using UV- VIS, FTIR, DLS, XRD, and TEM studies. The CfBio-CuONPs exhibited a prominent peak at 272 nm in UV-VIS spectroscopy, and XRD measurements confirmed their crystalline nature. The FTIR spectrum of CfBio-CuONPs revealed the presence of functional groups such as O-H and aromatic groups. TEM analysis confirmed that the CfBio-CuONPs were predominantly spherical with diameters ranging from 15 to 25 nm. Subsequently, the antibacterial potential of CfBio-CuONPs was evaluated against four pathogenic bacteria, including , , , and . Among these, exhibited the highest zone of inhibition (26.93 ± 2.01 mm), followed by (24.25 ± 1.04 mm), (23.98 ± 0.97 mm), and (22.97 ± 1.20 mm). CfBio-CuONPs demonstrated maximum antioxidant activity (78 ± 1.54%) at a dose-dependent concentration of 2000 µg/ml. Furthermore, in vitro toxicity assessment using the toxtrak test indicated that CfBio-CuONPs exhibited a significantly stronger toxic effect value/PI against (93.52%) compared to (92.65%), (91.25%), and (82.89%). These results underscore the notable toxicity of CfBio-CuONPs against , surpassing that against other bacteria and conventional antibiotics. This study highlights the potential utility of CfBio-CuONPs for eradicating pathogenic microorganisms and suggests potential implications for ecotoxicology.

Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-023-03869-5.