Green Synthesis of Nanoengineered Pt-Doped Au Nanoparticles Using Punica granatum Leaf Extract for Enhanced Cytotoxicity Against SH-SY5Y Neuroblastoma Cells

Abstract

The study aimed to develop an eco-friendly method for synthesizing bimetallic gold-platinum nanoparticles using Punica granatum ethanolic extract (PuGr-Pt-Au-BiNPs) and to evaluate their therapeutic potential. A green synthesis approach was employed to fabricate these multimetallic nanoparticles, which were subsequently characterized using spectroscopic, microscopic, calorimetric, and zeta potential analyses. The nanoparticles exhibited an irregular morphology with an average size of 18.13 ± 5.6109 nm and a zeta potential of −27.8 mV, indicating good colloidal stability. In cytotoxicity studies, PuGr-Pt-Au-BiNPs exhibited significantly higher inhibitory activity (65.74 ± 1.2200%) compared to the crude extract (48.25 ± 0.6202%) and showed an IC₅₀ value of 52.14 µg mL ⁻¹ against SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. Notably, the nanoparticles exhibited minimal toxicity against normal L-929 fibroblast cells, even at higher concentrations, confirming their biocompatibility. These favorable outcomes can be attributed to the nanoparticles nanoscale dimensions, low polydispersity, and enhanced surface reactivity, which collectively facilitate improved interaction with biological systems. These findings underscore the therapeutic potential of green-synthesized PuGr-Pt-Au-BiNPs as selective, biocompatible agents with potent anticancer activity against neuroblastoma, supporting their applicability in future biomedical and pharmaceutical interventions.