Nature's nano-factories: Pistacia khinjuk-mediated FeNPs with improved biomedical and environmental capabilities

Iron oxide nanoparticles (FeNPs) hold immense promise in diverse fields, including medicine and environmental remediation. This study aims to develop a sustainable, biogenic synthesis of FeNPs using Pistacia khinjuk leaf extract and evaluate their multifunctional applications. The biogenically synthesized FeNPs were rigorously analyzed to confirm their properties - UV–Vis spectroscopy verified nanoparticle formation through characteristic absorption, XRD revealed the crystalline phase structure, PSA quantified the size distribution profile, and FTIR detected organic functional groups responsible for stabilization, while SEM visualized the surface morphology and aggregation behavior. More precisely, the UV–Vis spectroscopy confirmed FeNPs formation (peak at ʎ = 365 nm), while XRD and PSA revealed a cubic crystalline structure with average sizes of ∼17.41 and ∼21 nm. The FeNPs exhibited significant antioxidant (72.3 μg/mL DPPH scavenging at 100 μg/mL) and enhanced antibacterial activity against Xanthomonas oryzae and Pseudomonas sp., surpassing the extract alone. Selective cytotoxicity against HeLa cells (vs. normal fibroblasts) and photocatalytic degradation of Reactive Black-5 dye (71 % removal in 180 min under UV) were also demonstrated. These findings highlight the potential of P. khinjuk-derived FeNPs for biomedical and environmental applications.