Green Synthesis of MgO Nanoparticles Using Aerva lanata Leaf Extract: Physicochemical Characterization, Antibacterial Activity and Cytotoxicity

Abstract

The increasing complexity of contemporary health disorders has created a need for alternative therapeutic strategies. Plant-mediated nanomaterials offer promising biomedical applications because of their distinctive physicochemical and biological characteristics. This investigation employed Aerva lanata leaf extract as a natural complexing and stabilizing medium for the eco-friendly preparation of magnesium oxide (MgO NPs) and assessed antibacterial and anticancer activities. The synthesized MgO nanoparticles were characterized using UV–visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering and zeta-potential analysis. XRD confirmed cubic periclase MgO with an average crystallite size of 24.68 nm. The nanoparticles exhibited antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae, with greater activity against E. coli (MIC: 125.36 ± 12.48 µg/mL; inhibition zone: 20.46 ± 1.18 mm). They also produced concentration-dependent cytotoxicity against PC-3 prostate cancer cells, with an IC₅₀ of approximately 87.43 µg/mL. These outcomes demonstrate that A. lanata-assisted MgO NPs may serve as environmentally sustainable materials with potential antibacterial and anticancer applications.