An Insight into Antimicrobial, Antioxidant, Anticancer, and Antidiabetic Activities of Trimetallic Se/ZnO/CuO Nanoalloys Fabricated by Aqueous Extract of Nitraria retusa

Abstract

The unique features of trimetallic nanoalloys to be used in biomedical applications have taken more attention instead those of mono and bimetallic nanoparticles. Leaf aqueous extract of Nitraria retusa was utilized for the first time to synthesize trimetallic Se/ZnO/CuO (TSZC) nanoalloys. Data displayed the formation of crystallographic and spherical TSZC with an average size of 47.69 ± 1.95 nm by the action of active molecules in N. retusa extract. EDX analysis reveals the existing Se, Zn, and Cu peaks at specific bending energies with weight percentages of 17.03, 9.44, and 8.36% respectively. TSZC showed promising antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Candida albicans, and Penicillium glabrum, superior the activity of positive control. The clear zones ranging from 12.3 ± 0.6 to 32.7 ± 0.5 mm were attained due to TSZC treatment with MIC values of 12.5 µg mL^–1 for E. coli, C. albicans, and P. glabrum, and 50 µg mL^–1 for S. aureus. The maximum DPPH scavenging activity (90.1 ± 0.2%) was attained at 1000 µg mL^–1 TSZC compared to ascorbic acid (98.3 ± 0.2%). The IC₅₀ of TSZC nanoalloys against normal cell line (WI38) was 294.9 ± 4.4 µg mL^–1 compared to IC₅₀ against cancer cells (Caco-2 = 83.01 ± 1.1; Mcf7 = 91.7 ± 1.2 µg mL^–1) Which indicates that the TSZC are targeted cancer cells at low concentrations. Finally, the inhibition of α-amylase and α-glucosidase by TSZC with IC₅₀ values of 23.2 ± 3.8 and 32.1 ± 2.6 µg mL^–1 respectively compared to acarbose as a positive control (IC₅₀ = 10.9 ± 1.5 and 15.9 ± 1.8 µg mL^–1 for α-amylase and α-glucosidase respectively) indicates the superior antidiabetic activity in-vitro.