Background/goal/aim

Plant extract is affordable and does not require any particular conditions; rapid production of nanoparticles using plants offers more advantages than other approaches. SeNPs have received much attention in the last decade due to SeNPs diverse and different applications. Herein, this study aimed to biosynthesize SeNPs using aqueous extract of Urtica dioica leaf through green and ecofriendly method. Moreover to fully characterize SeNPs using different techniques, and to evaluate it for antimicrobial activity as well as anticancer activity.

Main methods and major results

SeNPs were biosynthesis using aqueous leaf extract of Urtica dioica (Stinging nettle). The biosynthesized SeNPs were characterized using UV- visible spectroscopy (UV-vis), X-Ray diffraction (XRD), fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive electron spectroscopy (EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and thermal-gravimetric analysis (TGA). Antimicrobial and anticancer activities of biosynthesized SeNPs were assessed. Results illustrated that, SeNPs exhibited promising antibacterial activity against Gram-positive, and Gram-negative bacteria, as well as unicellular and multi-cellular fungi. Moreover, minimal-inhibitory concentration (MIC) of SeNPs against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas. aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus. aureus were 250, 31.25 and 500 μg/mL respectively, while were 62.5, 15.62, 31.25 and 7.81 μg/mL against Candida albicans, A. fumigatus, A. niger, and A. flavus respectively. The cytotoxicity of SeNPs was performed on Vero normal-cell line CCL-81, where IC50 was 173.2 μg/mL.

Conclusions and implications

For the first time, aqueous stinging nettle leaf extract was utilized to biosynthesise SeNPs in a green method. SeNPs have outstanding antimicrobial-activity against pathogenic bacterial and fungal strains. Moreover, SeNPs have promising anticancer activity against HepG2 cancerous cell line without cytotoxicity on Vero normal cell line. Finally, the biosynthesized SeNPs via aqueous extract of stinging nettle leaf exhibited potential antibacterial, antifungal and anticancer action, making them useful in the medical field.

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