This study describes an environmentally friendly method for synthesizing Iron Oxide Nanoparticles using the aqueous leaf extract of Thevetia peruviana. In this green synthesis approach, the plant extract acts as a natural reducing and stabilizing agent, making the process safer and more sustainable compared to conventional chemical methods. The formation of the nanoparticles was confirmed through several characterization techniques such as UV–Visible Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, and Scanning Electron Microscopy, along with computational modeling. These analyses showed that the synthesized nanoparticles possess a stable crystalline structure, spherical morphology, and strong absorption in the visible region. The biological evaluation of the synthesized nanoparticles revealed promising enzyme inhibitory activities. The nanoparticles showed effective inhibition against enzymes such as Urease, Alpha-glucosidase, Carbonic Anhydrase II, and Xanthine Oxidase. These results suggest that the nanoparticles may have potential therapeutic applications in managing metabolic and enzyme-related disorders. Molecular docking studies further supported these findings by demonstrating strong interactions between the nanoparticles and the active sites of these enzymes. In addition to enzyme inhibition, the nanoparticles also showed notable anticancer activity in laboratory studies. The synthesized nanoparticles exhibited significant inhibitory effects against Ovarian Cancer cell lines, with stronger activity than the plant extract alone. This enhanced biological activity is mainly attributed to the nanoscale size of the particles, which increases their surface area and improves their interaction with biological molecules. The presence of phytochemicals from the plant extract on the nanoparticle surface also contributes to their stability and biological effectiveness. Overall, the results demonstrate that plant-mediated synthesis of iron oxide nanoparticles offers a cost-effective, eco-friendly, and biocompatible approach for developing functional nanomaterials. These nanoparticles show promising potential for biomedical applications, particularly in enzyme inhibition and anticancer therapy. However, further in vivo studies and detailed toxicity evaluations are necessary before these materials can be considered for clinical applications.
More et al. (Wed,) studied this question.