Green Synthesis of Copper Nanoparticles from the Aqueous Extract of Lonicera japonica Thunb and Evaluation of Its Catalytic Property and Cytotoxicity and Antimicrobial Activity

Summary

Scientists created tiny copper particles using honeysuckle plant extract in an environmentally friendly way. These particles work well for cleaning dyes from water and killing harmful bacteria and fungi. However, they can be toxic to human cells at high concentrations, so careful dosing is important for medical applications.

Background

Copper nanoparticles are increasingly used as catalysts and antimicrobial agents. Green synthesis using plant extracts offers an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional chemical methods. Lonicera japonica Thunb contains high levels of chlorogenic acid, making it suitable for copper nanoparticle synthesis.

Objective

To synthesize copper nanoparticles using aqueous extract of Lonicera japonica Thunb and evaluate their catalytic properties, cytotoxicity, and antimicrobial activity. The study aimed to develop a simple and environmentally friendly method for producing nano-sized copper with uniform particle size.

Results

Cu nanoparticles with average size of 2-4 nm were successfully synthesized with high catalytic efficiency, achieving complete dye degradation in 2.7 minutes for methylene blue. LD50 values were 37.64 µg/mL for HUVEC cells and 7.50 µg/mL for MC3T3-E1 cells. Cu/Lj-C catalyst maintained effective catalytic activity over seven reuse cycles and showed strong antibacterial and antifungal activity against all tested microorganisms.

Conclusion

The study demonstrates successful green synthesis of copper nanoparticles using Lonicera japonica extract with excellent catalytic, antimicrobial, and antifungal properties. The nanoparticles show promise for industrial applications in dye removal from wastewater while exhibiting concentration-dependent cytotoxicity. These findings support the potential of Cu NPs for developing novel antibacterial materials and environmental remediation applications.
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