Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles from Tribulus terrestris and Investigation of Their Antioxidant and Anticancer Activities against MG-63 Osteosarcoma Cells.

The increasing interest in green nanotechnology has led to the use of medicinal plants for synthesizing nanoparticles with bio-medical applications. This study focuses on synthesizing silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using the aqueous leaf extract of Tribulus terrestris, aiming to evaluate their anti-oxidant, enzyme inhibitory and anti-cancer activities. The synthesis was confirmed through UV-Vis spectroscopy, where the plant extract showed a peak at 282 nm and AgNPs exhibited a surface plasmon resonance peak at 430 nm. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy revealed functional groups of plant extract as -OH, -C=O and -NH, which were involved in the stabilization and reduction of the AgNPs. X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed the nanoparticles as crystal in nature, while Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) showed their spherical morphology. Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) demonstrated good nanoparticle stability. Biological testing revealed significant anti-oxidant activity, with DPPH (78.27%), ABTS (76.55%) and iron chelation (79.74%) at 640 µg/mL. Enzyme inhibition assays showed high inhibition of polyphenol oxidase (91.99%) and peroxidase (98.74%). The AgNPs also exhibited promising anti-cancer potential, with a 78.34% reduction in MG-63 osteosarcoma cell viability at 80 µg/mL Gene expression analysis revealed upregulation of Caspase 9 and Bax and downregulation of Bcl-2, suggesting an apoptotic pathway in the cancer cells. In conclusion, T. terrestris synthesized AgNPs show great promise for use in therapeutic applications, particularly in cancer treatment.