Green synthesis of CuO NPs, characterization and their toxicity potential against HepG2 cells

In this study, copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) were green synthesized using the leaf extract of Momordica cochinchinensis (Lour.). Various characterization techniques such as Energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS), Ultraviolet Visible (UV–vis) Spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction (XRD), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Fourier-transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy were utilized to study the formation of CuO NPs. DLS and TEM analysis revealed the formation of sphere-shaped CuO NPs with mean particle size of 56 nm. Additionally, the prepared CuO NPs were incubated with Hepatic (HepG2) cells to check their cel viability and evaluate the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The results of the current work exhibited a concentration-dependent decline in the viability of HepG2 cells with half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC 50 ) value of 75 μ g ml −1 . The cytotoxic effect of CuO NPs was responsible for the cell apoptosis as well as ROS induction in the HepG2 cells. Further, the prepared CuO NPs could act as possible chemotherapeutic agent for the treatment of liver hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in future.