부산대학교 도서관

In this study, Echium amoenum (known as borage) petals, popular as a medicinal herb, was used for producing copper nanoparticles (CuO NPs) for the first time. Since borage metabolites are bioactive, they were used as bioreductive agents for synthesizing CuO NPs. For this, phytochemical compositions of EA extract were analyzed qualitatively before fabricating CuO NPs. Various measurements were conducted to characterize the CuO NPs, including UV–vis, FTIR, SEM–EDS, TEM, XRD, DLS, and the zeta potential. Additionally, EA-CuO NPs were examined for antimicrobial, free radical scavenging and cytotoxic activities. The surface plasmon resonance peak of the EA-CuO NPs was identified as 346.6 nm based on UV–visible spectroscopy. FTIR spectra proposed possible functional groups associated with EA-CuO NP formation. According to the SEM and TEM images, the EA-CuO NPs were spherical and ranged from 30 to 40 nm. The crystallites were estimated to be particulate at 28.5 nm in size, with the copper-to-oxygen ratio of 60.16:24.96 determined by XRD and EDX. There was an approximate IC50 value of 35.46 µg/ml for the DPPH and 70.11 µg/ml for the H2O2 scavenging activity of EA-CuO NPs. A MIC value of 80 µg/ml was obtained for EA-CuO NPs against Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus saprophytic, and Klebsiella pneumonia. However, MIC values for EA-CuO NPs against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida species were 160 and 600 µg/ml, respectively. Based on the findings, EA-CuO nanoparticles have the potential to be used as an alternative to antibiotics to treat antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Given this, it would be prudent to conduct detailed studies into the mechanism of action and side effects of EA-CuO NPs before they are applied as antimicrobial agents for therapeutic purposes.Graphical abstract: