Exploring the potential of biogenic magnesium oxide nanoparticles for cytotoxicity: In vitro and in silico studies on HCT116 and HT29 cells and DPPH radical scavenging

Abstract The goal of this work was to assess the cytotoxicity, chemical characteristics, thermal stability, and antioxidant activity of green-synthesized MgO nanoparticles (MgO NPs) produced from pumpkin seed extract for their potential therapeutic implications in cancer treatment. The shape, chemical properties, and thermal stability of MgO NPs made with green synthesis were looked at with Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopic analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopic (TEM) imaging, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), ultraviolet-visible, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermogravimetric analysis. Three cell lines, HCT-116, HT29, and Vero, were used to test the cytotoxicity of MgO NPs. The AlamarBlue® assay was used for HCT-116 and Vero cells, and the Neutral Red (NR) Uptake Assay was used for HT29 cells. A molecular docking study was done to find out how MgO nanoparticles and cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2), a protein linked to cancerous cells growing out of control, interact. The morphological properties, size, aggregation, shapeless pores, and high surface-to-area volume ratio of biosynthesized MgO NPs were shown using SEM and TEM imagings. The elemental composition of Mg and O in green-synthesized MgO NPs was validated using EDX. The AlamarBlue ® assay did not yield IC 50 values for HCT-116 and Vero cells, suggesting minimal cytotoxicity in these cell lines. However, the NR Uptake Assay showed an IC 50 of 164.1 µg/mL for HT29 cells, indicating a significant impact. The DPPH experiment revealed that MgO nanoparticles had high antioxidant activity, with a scavenging capacity of 61% and an IC 50 of 170 μg/mL. In conclusion, MgO nanoparticles produced utilizing green chemistry demonstrated a wide range of biological features, including antioxidant activity and cytotoxicity against three cell lines. According to molecular docking studies, these nanoparticles may interact with CDK2, a protein implicated in cancer cell growth. These findings emphasize MgO nanoparticles’ potential for cancer treatment. However, further study is needed to understand the underlying processes and investigate therapeutic applications.