Biogenic Mg doped CeO2 nanoparticles via Hibiscus sabdariffa and its potential biological applications

Cancer and inflammation are important challenges and leading causes of death worldwide. Development of nanomaterial based therapeutic compounds obtained from natural products is thought to be a pillar in drug discovery. The present research describes the cytotoxicity, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities of cerium oxide (CeO2) and magnesium (Mg) doped CeO2 nanoparticles (NPs). Hibiscus sabdariffa (HS) flower extract is used to bio-fabricate Mg doped CeO2 nanoparticles in an eco-friendly and cost-effective manner. The morphological and structural characteristics of the bioengineered CeO2 and Mg doped CeO2 NPs were investigated using complementary characterization techniques, such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with Electron Dispersive X-rays Spectroscopy (EDS). SEM analysis showed that the NPs possess spherical shape and particle size of around 100 nm. The cytotoxicity results demonstrated that CeO2 and Mg doped CeO2 NPs caused potent toxicity on MCF-7, HepG2 and A-549 cancer cells. The highest toxicity was observed in A-549 cells with an IC50 = 79.19 ± 3.07 µg/mL and maximum cell inhibition of ~ 96%. Furthermore, Mg doped CeO2 NPs also depicted DPPH and H2O2 scavenging potential with maximum % of inhibition = 79.43 ± 1.51 and 72.43 ± 1.51 respectively at 1000 µg/mL. Interestingly, these NPs inhibited inflammatory markers, COX-1 enzyme with IC50 = 25.98 ± 1.76 µg/mL and protein denaturation with IC50 = 14.85 ± 0.97 µg/mL, respectively. The outcome of the present study revealed that the biosynthesized Mg doped CeO2 NPs using HS flower extract possess promising biomedical potential.