Theobroma Cacao pod husk extract mediated gold nanoparticles: synthesis, characterization and evaluation of their cytotoxicity activity using brine shrimp hatching assay
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Romesa Soomro
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Puteri Nurhazeera Azaham
Abstract
The advancement of nanotechnology has led to the exploration of environmentally sustainable methodologies for nanoparticle synthesis, particularly emphasizing the significance of green chemistry. Among these, the green synthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) using natural extracts has gained attention with respect to their potential biomedical applications. This study presents a novel method for the green synthesis of AuNPs employing CPH extract, which is sustainable and environmental-friendly. The synthesized CPH–AuNPs exhibited remarkable stability as evident from different characterization techniques, including UV–visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and Transmission Electron Microscopy. These analyses revealed that the CPH–AuNPs were predominantly homogeneous, spherical shaped with an average particle size and crystallite size of 16 nm and 17 nm, respectively. UV–Vis spectroscopy confirmed successful synthesis of CPH–AuNPs, with absorption peak stabilizing at 533 nm. TEM technique further confirmed the long–term stability feature of the synthesized nanoparticles. Additionally, the biosafety of CPH–AuNPs assessed using brine shrimp (Artemia salina) hatching assay, revealed 47 % hatching rate at the least concentration of 62.5 µg mL−1, thereby underscoring their high biocompatibility. This research paves the way for the development of novel AuNPs synthesized using isolated polyphenols from CPH extract, with promising implications for their application in the biomedical field.
Acknowledgment
The authors gratefully acknowledge the Malaysian Cocoa Board for providing the cocoa pod husk (CPH) used in this study. This research was financially supported by the Malaysia–Singapore L’Oréal–UNESCO Fellowship for Women in Science (FWIS) 2023 and the Kurita Water and Environment Foundation Grant (Grant Number 23Pmy305). The authors also extend their sincere thanks to Universiti Putra Malaysia for the research facilities and technical assistance, which were instrumental to the successful completion of this work.
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Research ethics: Not applicable.
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Informed consent: Not applicable.
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Author contributions: All authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission.
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Use of Large Language Models, AI and Machine Learning Tools: Improve language, or combine or enhance existing figures.
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Conflict of interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.
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Research funding: The Malaysia–Singapore L’Oréal–UNESCO Fellowship for Women in Science (FWIS) 2023 and the Kurita Water and Environment Foundation Grant (Grant Number 23Pmy305).
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Data availability: Data available on request from the authors.
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