Green synthesis, characterization and anticancer activity of fungal asparaginase from Aspergillus terreus conjugated on MgO-ZnO nanocomposite against liver cancer cells

L-Asparaginase exists as an effective chemotherapeutic drug for various cancer cell types. However, the L-asparaginase enzyme in its free state is unstable and has reduced half-life period with numerous side effects. Here, as a green synthesis approach, we have tried a nanocarrier to reduce its side effects and thereby the environmental pollution and toxicity. We used leaf extract of Mesosphaerum suaveolens (L.) Kuntze, commonly called Pignut, Wild spikenard or Horsehound, to produce a Mg-ZnO nanocomposite, which has antitumor activity by arresting the cell cycle of tumour cells. To the synthesized nanocomposite, extracted L-asparaginase enzyme from Aspergillus terreus was impregnated. The presence of ZnO helps to preserve the biological activity of immobilized L-asparaginase along with MgO making the nanocarrier biocompatible and biodegradable. This helps in increasing the stability and anticancer property of the L-asparaginase. The enzyme-impregnated nanobiocomposite was characterized using UV-Vis spectroscopy which ensured the existence of the Asp-Mg-ZnO in the nanobiocomposite. The presence of functional group and the crystallinity nature of the nanobiocomposite were studied using FT-IR and XRD, respectively. The morphological structure and elemental composition of the nanobiocomposite were determined using the SEM-EDAX. The anticancer activity of the synthesized Asp-Mg-ZnO nanobiocomposite was determined using the MTT assay, which helped to determine the viability and proliferation capacity of the cancer cells.