*Vital discover: This information studies on a paper which has been accepted and is awaiting peer evaluate. Scientific Reviews typically publishes preliminary scientific studies that aren’t peer-reviewed and, subsequently, shouldn’t be considered conclusive or handled as established data.
A brand new environmentally pleasant methodology produces cerium oxide nanodots with antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anticancer exercise via the usage of debranched starch derived from Curcuma longa.
Examine: Curcuma longa debranched starch assisted synthesis of cerium oxide nanoparticles and its antioxidant, anticancer, antimicrobial, and anti-biofilm actions. Picture Credit score:ultramansk/Shutterstock.com
The work, revealed in Scientific Reviews, demonstrates how plant-based supplies might be harnessed to create extremely useful nanomaterials whereas lowering reliance on harsh chemical substances and energy-intensive processes.
Get all the main points: Seize your PDF right here!
Nanoparticles are more and more utilized in medication, catalysis, and environmental purposes, however many typical synthesis strategies depend on excessive temperatures, poisonous solvents, and complicated processing steps.
Inexperienced synthesis approaches intention to cut back these drawbacks by utilizing biodegradable, renewable supplies that may act as each lowering and stabilizing brokers.
Cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO2NPs), often known as nanoceria, are of explicit curiosity as a result of their organic exercise relies upon strongly on particle dimension, floor chemistry, and oxidation state.
Earlier research have proven that green-synthesized nanoceria can exhibit selective toxicity towards most cancers cells whereas sparing wholesome cells, motivating efforts to develop safer and extra controllable manufacturing routes.
The First Use of Debranched Curcuma longa Starch
On this examine, researchers report for the primary time the usage of debranched Curcuma longa starch to synthesize cerium oxide nanodots by way of a sol-gel-based inexperienced strategy. Debranched starch performs a number of roles: it reduces cerium ions, stabilizes rising nanoparticles, and prevents aggregation throughout synthesis.
This technique produced well-dispersed, spherical cerium oxide nanodots with a slim dimension distribution of 2-4 nm, dimensions which are troublesome to attain persistently utilizing conventional chemical routes.
Cautious Characterization of the Nanodots
The researchers used a complete set of analytical strategies to substantiate nanoparticle formation and construction. UV/Vis spectroscopy revealed attribute absorption options related to cerium oxide nanostructures, reported between 315 nm and roughly 350 nm throughout completely different sections of the examine.
Fourier rework infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) recognized chemical interactions between cerium oxide and starch-derived useful teams, whereas X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed the crystalline, cubic fluorite construction of CeO2.
Excessive-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) confirmed uniformly spherical nanodots within the 2-4 nm vary. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) demonstrated the coexistence of Ce3+ and Ce4+ oxidation states, together with oxygen vacancies, options identified to drive nanoceria’s redox exercise.
Organic testing confirmed that the cerium oxide nanodots possess sturdy antioxidant exercise. In commonplace radical scavenging assays, the nanoparticles exhibited IC50 values of three.2 ± 0.23 µg/mL for DPPH and three.66 ± 0.18 µg/mL for ABTS, outperforming widespread antioxidant references.
This exercise is linked to reversible biking between Ce3+ and Ce4+ ions on the nanoparticle floor. The authors emphasize that this redox habits is context-dependent: cerium oxide nanoparticles can act as antioxidants or pro-oxidants relying on their setting, focus, and organic goal.
Antibacterial and Anti-Biofilm Results
The nanodots additionally demonstrated antibacterial exercise in opposition to a spread of clinically related pathogens, together with Corynebacterium diphtheriae, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Salmonella typhi.
Extra notably, anti-biofilm exercise was noticed primarily in opposition to E. coli and C. diphtheriae, organisms identified for forming persistent biofilms that resist typical antibiotics. Microscopy and mechanistic evaluation counsel that reactive oxygen species era and membrane disruption play key roles on this impact.
To discover anticancer potential, the researchers evaluated cytotoxicity in opposition to HepG2 human hepatocellular carcinoma cells utilizing the MTT assay. The cerium oxide nanodots confirmed a transparent dose-dependent response, with an IC50 of 178 ± 14 µg/mL.
The proposed mechanism entails modulation of oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and activation of apoptotic pathways. Whereas prior research counsel that nanoceria might preferentially have an effect on most cancers cells over regular cells, the authors be aware that this selectivity was circuitously examined right here.
Encouraging Security Alerts with Clear Limits
Past efficacy, the examine additionally examined hemocompatibility. Crimson blood cell hemolysis assays confirmed that the nanodots lowered membrane injury brought on by disruptive brokers, indicating favorable blood compatibility.
Nevertheless, the authors are cautious to emphasize that each one findings are primarily based on in vitro experiments. Additional mechanistic research, in vivo testing, and long-term security assessments shall be required earlier than biomedical or medical purposes might be thought of.
By combining plant-derived starch chemistry with cerium oxide nanotechnology, the work highlights a viable path towards extra sustainable nanoparticle synthesis with out sacrificing performance. The outcomes reinforce the concept that inexperienced synthesis strategies can produce nanomaterials with exact dimension management, wealthy floor chemistry, and broad organic exercise.
The examine gives each a brand new synthesis technique and a reminder that sustainability and efficiency needn’t be at odds.
Journal Reference
Sana S.S. et al. (2026). Curcuma longa debranched starch-assisted synthesis of cerium oxide nanoparticles and their antioxidant, anticancer, antimicrobial, and anti-biofilm actions. Scientific Reviews (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-35249-3, https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-35249-3