Harnessing the Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Potential of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Synthesized from Anacardium occidentale L. Leaf Extract

The mostly unexplored leaves of Anacardium occidentale L. have significant promise as a reservoir of bioactive chemicals and as a means for synthesizing nanoparticles by environmentally friendly methods. These nanoparticles could find valuable applications in the field of medicine. Pursuing their possible biological applications, this work intends to first isolate, characterize, and conduct phytochemical analysis of these bioactive compounds found in cashew leaves, and its synthesized Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs). The study involves extracting bioactive chemicals, performing green synthesis of nanoparticles from cashew leaves extract, phytochemical analysis, characterization of synthesized ZnONPs using advanced analytical techniques like ultraviolet spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with EDS, and XRD. Using ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, the existence of a distinctive peak at around 370 nm verified the synthesis of ZnO NPs. Nanoparticle crystallinity and phase were ascertained by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The average crystallinity according to Debye-Scherrer equation was found to be 23 nm. By using SEM, one can learn more about the NPs’ size distribution and shape. Antibacterial resistance and antioxidant activity were determined using DPPH assays. This environmentally benign and economically viable synthesis was found to be eco-friendly & cost-effective.