Green synthesis of gold nanoparticles: Preparation, characterization, cytotoxicity, and anti-bacterial activities

Synthesis of nanostructures using green chemistry has been popular owing to the exciting properties and innovative applications of these nanostructures. Novel, cost-effective, and eco-friendly gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) were synthesized using a mix of Olea europaea (OE) fruit extract and Acacia nilotica (AN) husk extract. The synthesized Au NPs were characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy, and the average NP size (44.96 nm) was measured by a Zetasizer. A more detailed characterization was performed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning, and transmission electron microscopy and electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy. The cytotoxicity of the synthesized OEAN Au NPs was evaluated using an MTT assay on breast (MCF-7), colon (TCT-116), and hepatocellular (HCepG-2) carcinoma cells. The antibacterial activity of the synthesized OEAN Au NPs was investigated using a disc diffusion method. The synthesized Au NPs exhibited moderate antibacterial activity against the bacterial strains used and profound anticancer activity against different cell lines used. (C) 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.